LibGuides: ART 347: Art of the Gardner: Primary Sources in the Library & on the Web

Primary Sources on the Web

Original page from the 1906 edition of A choice of books from the library of Isabella Stewart Gardner, Fenway Court.
Via the HathiTrust Digital Library

American Memory - Library of Congress Includes a plethora of digitized documents, photographs, audiovisuals, sound recordings, pictures, books, maps, and pamphlets in regards to American history.
Art Institute of Chicago Collections Digitized collections can be browsed or searched by artist's name, keyword and more.
The Bridgeman Art Library Archive The Bridgeman Art Library is the world’s leading source of fine art, cultural and historical images. Its content is drawn from collections throughout the world, covering all periods, styles, concepts and mediums; from the classic masterpieces of national museums to the hidden gems of private collections.
Digital Commonwealth This site provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts.
Eighteenth Century Resources - History Resources related to 18th century history. Contains many primary documents.
Gardner Museum Collections Isabella Stewart Gardner collected and carefully displayed a collection comprised of more than 2,500 objects—paintings, sculpture, furniture, textiles, drawings, silver, ceramics, illuminated manuscripts, rare books, photographs and letters—from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, the Islamic world and 19th-century France and America. Browse the Gardner Museum's collections online by room, artist, genre and more.
Guggenheim eBooks The Guggenheim Museum has digitized many of its out-of-print publications and is offering them free. This is a treasure of art literature as well as great book cover design.
HathiTrust Digital Library HathiTrust Digital Library is a digital preservation repository and highly functional access platform. It provides long-term preservation and access services for public domain and in copyright content from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house partner institution initiatives.
Library of Congress The Library of Congress has digitized a large proportion of its collection, which includes prints and photographs, historic newspapers, films, manuscripts and much more.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Digital Collections The Met has digitized much of its collections and makes extensive images freely available on the web.
MFA Images Search or browse more than 160,000 images from the collection of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. and preserves documents and materials, including photographs, created in the course of business conducted by the federal government.
National Gallery of Art Online Collections The National Gallery of Art's digital collection can be searched for a specific artist, title, or both.
New York Public Library Digital Collections The New York Public Library provides access to over 600,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs.

ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window A discovery tool for searching historical collections and primary source materials held in archives throughout the United States.
ArchiveGrid connects researchers with unique historical collections from libraries, museums, and archives. The database provides detailed information about archival repositories, including contact information, access policies, and collection descriptions. Coverage includes personal papers, organizational records, and historical documents. This resource is invaluable for historical research, genealogy, and primary source discovery.
Artstor This link opens in a new window A digital library of over one million images in art, architecture, humanities, and social sciences, with tools for viewing, presenting, and managing visual materials.
Artstor provides high-quality digital images for educational and scholarly use. The platform includes sophisticated tools for viewing, zooming, and creating image presentations. Users can create personal collections and share them for teaching purposes. This resource is particularly valuable for visual arts education, research, and presentation.
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window The preeminent art reference resource, combining multiple Oxford art reference works.
Oxford Art Online provides comprehensive coverage of visual arts from prehistory to present. Content includes scholarly articles, images, and specialist art reference works. The platform features regular updates and commissioned content. This resource is essential for art history research and study.

Primary Sources in the Library

The library's collection includes volumes that reproduce original works of art as well as facsimiles of manuscripts, historic editions of key texts, letters and correspondence, and original exhibition catalogs.

Correspondence of Isabella Stewart Gardner at the Gardner Museum
Call Number: N5220.G26 I8
A checklist of persons who wrote to Isabella Stewart Gardner (and John Lowell Gardner, Jr.) compiled from the museum's archives.
Drawings - Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Call Number: NC25.B6 I8
Published by the trustees in 1968, this is an original catalog of the museum's drawings.
General Catalogue of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Call Number: N521.I7 A3
This original catalog of the museum's contents was printed for the trustees in 1935.