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Library Research Guide for Getty Scholars

This guide highlights information about the Getty Library's collections and services.

Photo Archive

The Library's Photo Archive, is one of the world's largest collections of photographs of art and architecture, housing over two million study photographs. It is a primary source not only for the documentation of works of art over time, but also for understanding changes in art historical scholarship and teaching.

Subject areas represented are:

  • Ancient Art & Architecture
  • Medieval Art & Architecture (includes a repository copy of the Index of Medieval Art and access to the IMA database)
  • Renaissance to Modern Architecture
  • Renaissance to Modern Sculpture
  • Paintings/Drawings/Prints (coverage 1250 - 20th century)
  • Decorative Arts

The photographs are located on L3 in the open stacks and in storage.

Approximately half of the collection is represented descriptive non-pictorial records in the freely available online Photo Archive database. For more information about the Photo Archive visit http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/photo/index.html.

To make an appointment for a Photo Archive orientation, contact Tracey Schuster, Head of Permissions & Photo Archive Services tschuster@getty.edu.