Ohrstrom Blog » Art

New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:08 +0000

Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography edited by Lynne Warren, Routledge, 2006.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 770.9 W25

Photography’s second century is recorded, analyzed and discussed in this new reference set. Photography is placed in a variety of contexts such as: geography, institutions & exhibitions, inventions and people. The set offers a glossary of photographic terms, bibliographies and B&W samples of artists work.

Check out entries on: Lotte Jacobi, Bracketing, Impressionism, Dada, and Works Progress Administration.

Looking for more examples of a particular artist’s work? Try searching the artist’s name in ARTstor.

Helpful for: Humanities V, Humanities V Research Paper, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Photographers, Art

New Reference Book: The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:30 +0000

The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television by John Kenneth Muir, McFarland, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 791.43 M91S

A one-volume guide discussing superheroes from American film and television. Each article focuses on a particular superhero, their history, creation and appearance in TV and/or film(s). When applicable, a complete TV episode-by-episode synopsis follows each entry.

Examples include:

The Amazing Spider-Man
The Ambiguously Gay Duo
The Bionic Woman
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Doctor Strange
Swamp Thing

Helpful for: Humanities IV, Art, Gender Studies, Social History, Pop Culture, Superhero Fans

New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:12:16 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World edited by Pam J. Crabtree, Facts on File, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 909.07 F11S

A 4-volume set comprised of more than 70 articles focused on Medieval society and culture. Each entry discusses the article topic from the viewpoint of the following geographic areas:
•   Africa
•   The Americas
•   Asia and the Pacific
•   Europe
•   The Islamic World

Illustrations, maps and a smattering of primary source documents are included throughout.

Examples include: Calendars and Clocks, Education, Food and Diet, Gender Structures and Roles, Money and Coinage, Weaponry and Armor.

Helpful for: Humanities III, History, European History, Medieval Studies, Medieval Enthusiasts

New Reference Book: What People Wore When

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:18 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume edited by Melissa Leventon, St. Martin’s Press, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 391 L57W

Presented geographically (Egypt, Italy, India, et al.), area fashions are then presented chronologically, often spanning several centuries. Color drawings are included throughout.

Images are accompanied by brief text descriptions including: Knights, 11th Century [England]; Campaign Wig [France, 1650-1780], Samurai Woman, [Japan, 19th Century].

The final 30 pages of the volume is divided into two sections. The first focuses on Western clothing details (sleeves, doublets, hose, et al) from 1300-1800. The second section focuses on Western accessories (footwear, belts, hairstyles, et al.).

Helpful for: Humanities IV, Humanities V, Fashion Enthusiasts, Art

New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of Women in Religious Art

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:56 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Encyclopedia of Women in Religious Art by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, Continuum Publishing Co., 1996.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 704.9424

A quick, specialized dictionary focused on images, roles and symbols related to women in religious art. Over 2,000 brief entries focus on the world’s major religions.

Examples include: Bestiary, Golden Legend, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Willow.

An appendix lists variant names of “historical and legendary” women (Contents, iii).

Helpful for: Humanities, Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, Humanities V Art Paper

New Reference Book: The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:31 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture edited by Jonathan M. Bloom and Sheila S. Blair, Oxford U. Press, 2009.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 709.17 G911

Islamic art and techniques, as well as related people and places from Asia, Europe and Africa provide the focus of this 3-volume set.

A sampling from the 1,600 entries: Fulani, Body Art; Jade; Carpets and Flatweaves; Metalwork; and Banknotes.

Helpful for: Middle Eastern Voices, Humanities III, Art, Art, Islamic Studies

World Collections Online: Expanding our Global Perspective

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:57 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

The World Digital Library is a partnership between UNESCO and the U.S. Library of Congress. The site aims to provide free access to digitized treasures currently housed in libraries, museums & other institutions around the world.

Search by keyword or browse using different methods including: place, time or topic.

Europeana is collaboration between dozens of European institutions including: museums, libraries, archives and galleries. Currently housing 4 million items, the project aims to have 10 million items online in 2010.

Search for James Bond, Descartes, hippos or Alice in Wonderland. Searches may be further narrowed by item type including: texts, images, videos and sounds.

Helpful for: Humanities III, Humanities IV, Humanities V, Religious Studies, Art, Science, books, Primary Sources