Art and Architecture History: ART 230B
Tips and Tricks
Start early to allow time for getting materials not available through Miami.
If you can't find a copy of something you need, try OhioLINK or interlibrary loan.
If you aren't finding the articles in the resources listed below, broaden your search by using Academic Search Complete (one of the broadest databases the library has) or try using the Articles and More tab on the library homepage (which searches all 519 library databases at the same time).
WorldCat is another option to broaden your search. WorldCat is, quite literally, a world catalog and will show you results from library collections and archives across the globe. You can then order these resources through interlibrary loan or contact the archive owning the material for access.
All of these various databases will have different interfaces and options. Oftentimes, you can limit your results by things like date and region, which can be helpful. If you aren't finding these options on the homepage, look for an "advanced search" tab.
When you find a good resource, especially a scholarly book or article, check it's bibliography for additional sources.
Finally, I am also your resource! Please reach out with any questions you have. I love finding things!
Research in local/regional/state archives and libraries
Once you have chosen your monument, you can use Google to find local, regional, and state archives that might have information on your monument. These could potentially be digital or hardcopy. You can use keywords like the location of your monument (city, county, and/or state) and phrases like "digital archive", "archive", "historical newspapers" and/or "library." The local or state library where your monument is located might also have materials. If these materials are not available online, you can try getting a copy through interlibrary loan or contacting the institution directly. Historical societies might also have resources.
Researching local/regional artists
If the artist of your monument isn't well known, you will need to look at regional and state resources. For example, Wertz has a book on Ohio Artists in its reference collection that lists citations for many local and regional artists that can be challenging to find in other places. While we don't have a book on, say, Georgia. A university in Georgia might. You can look in WorldCat and then order the text through Interlibrary loan. Regional museums or historical societies might also have resources, as might local, regional, and state newspapers.
Civil War Monuments Databases
Links to resources listed on the assignment guide
Additional Resources
- Commemorative Cultures: The American Civil War Monuments ProjectThe Commemorative Cultures project is a digital heritage web resource which collects, records, maps, and interprets data about American Civil War monuments across the United States, the UK, and internationally.
- A census of Confederate symbols and monuments in the U.SUse this interactive database to quickly find buildings, monuments, plaques and other structures named for Confederate leaders, as well as cities, counties, roads, holidays and more that commemorate the Confederacy throughout the United States.
- Whose Heritage?A larger site from the same people who created the Whose Heritage Map. Check out the Whose Heritage PDF (which has a bibliography!) and other resources here.
- Equal Justice Initiative: The Lasting Legacy of Confederate MonumentsThis interactive map allows you to search for monuments and information on said monuments. Some monuments have more information than others.
Newspaper Articles
- Library of Congress: Chronicling AmericaSearch America's historic newspaper pages from 1770-1963.
- Illustrated Civil War Newspapers and Magazines This link opens in a new windowContains campaign newspapers for the 1860 Presidential campaign and magazines and newspapers sympathetic to the Confederacy, Union, and Abolitionism. 1860-1865.
- African American Newspapers 1827-1998 This link opens in a new windowDigital collection of local African American newspapers across the United States chronicling life, thought and culture. Miami has Series 1 (1827-1998) and 2 (1835-1956) from selected states.
- Early American Newspapers: Series 1-7 This link opens in a new windowFull-text page and article images of selected American newspapers from roughly 1690-1922.
For more recent articles
- Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new windowInterdisciplinary and comprehensive full-text database of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the African American, Caribbean, African, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian and Pacific Islander, European and Eastern European, Hispanic, and Native peoples press.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Source for researching news, business, and legal topics. It contains full-text of sources from all over the world, drawn from print, broadcast, and online media.
- Factiva This link opens in a new window
This includes full-text coverage of many major U.S. and international newspapers. It also includes television and radio transcripts, and business and trade journals as well as company reports and financial data. Limited to 4 simultaneous users.
History and Civil War Databases
- Illustrated Civil War Newspapers and Magazines This link opens in a new windowContains campaign newspapers for the 1860 Presidential campaign and magazines and newspapers sympathetic to the Confederacy, Union, and Abolitionism. 1860-1865.
- Images of the American Civil War This link opens in a new windowPosters, photographs, and ephemera depicting Civil War battlefields, the home front, politics, and general society. Users may encounter content in this database the library has not purchased.
- African American Periodicals, 1825-1995 This link opens in a new windowContains periodicals by and about African Americans. Includes academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizational bulletins, annual reports, and other genres. Cross-searchable with African American Newspapers (Readex).
- American Periodicals This link opens in a new windowFull-text of American magazines published from 1741 into the 20th century. Database can be browsed by title, editor, or publisher, and searched using a sophisticated search menu.
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new windowIndex with abstracts and full-text of journal articles, book reviews, media reviews, and dissertations on all aspects of American and Canadian history from prehistory to the present. See Historical Abstracts for world history.
- Accessible Archives This link opens in a new windowNOTE: Register with your Miami University email address.
Full-text of 18th and 19th century publications including selected African American newspapers (eg. North Star), Civil War era magazines and newspapers, Godey's Ladies' Book, major early American newspapers (eg. Pennsylvania Gazette), and major Civil war articles from the north and south.<
Art History Databases
- Art Full Text This link opens in a new windowArt Full Text has full text articles from over 380 art periodicals from around the world. It also includes 14,000 indexed art dissertations and 229,000 indexed art reproductions.
- Art & Architecture Complete This link opens in a new windowThis database provides full-text coverage of hundreds of periodicals and books, as well as cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for academic journals, magazines and trade publications and books on fine art, decorative art, commercial art, and architecture. Also includes over 6,300 images from Picture Desk and other sources.
- Art Index Retrospective This link opens in a new windowArt Index Retrospective is an archive index chronicling over a half a century of art literature. Covering fine art, decorative art, commercial art, and architecture, it indexes hundreds of publications, plus thousands of book reviews, interviews, anthologies and more from over 600 publications.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowCovers a wide range of full-text scholarly content, academic journals, primary sources, and e-books, across a wide range of subject areas. Also searches artwork in ARTstor. Collections I-X all campuses. Collection XI Oxford and Middletown campus users only. Users may encounter content in this database the library has not purchased.
Artstor and JSTOR have merged interfaces. JSTOR searches now return images, or you can search for images only by using the images tab above the main search bar.
Art and Humanities Librarian
Civil War Biographies
Encyclopedia of Civil War Biographies by ISBN: 0765680211Publication Date: 1999-11-30This text offers a glimpse of a tumultuous time in US history. A primary source reference, it includes 400 biographies of prominent figures living during the American Civil War period, written by their contemporaries. The authors' observations of the time in which they lived, interwoven with biographical portraits of their subjects, add an extra dimension of interest to this illustrated A-Z reference. In addition to military and political leaders, the book covers major business leaders, scientists, inventors, artists, entertainers, publishers, abolitionists, and other notable persons such as the chief of the Wampanog Indians Elisha Converse, Barbara Fritchie and Tom Thumb.
Encyclopedia of the Confederacy by ISBN: 9781607101079Publication Date: 2010-10-01Though it existed for just four years, the Confederate States of America had a lasting impact on the history of the United States. From the Confederacy's inception in 1861 to the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, the Encyclopedia of the Confederacy offers a comprehensive A-to-Z examination of the Confederacy's key people, places, and battles. Meet fascinating Confederates, including President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and Lincoln's infamous assassin, John Wilkes Booth, experience the bloodiest battles ever fought on U.S. soil, and learn about the military leaders who led their forces to victory--and defeat. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book boasts more than 300 archival photographs, detailed works of art, maps, and reproductions of historic artifacts, including original Confederate notes and bonds.
- American National Biography Online This link opens in a new windowBiographies of individuals important in American history. Each entry contains a bibliography and locations(s) of the individual's papers and manuscripts. 5 simultaneous users. See also print copy, King Reference CT213 .A68 1999.
Subject Headings
Soldiers' monuments -- Southern States
1861-1865 -- Monuments
Confederate monuments
Monuments -- Political aspects
Confederate States of America -- Monuments
1861-1865 -- Monuments -- Moral and ethical aspects
Soldiers' monuments -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Southern States
Confederate States of America -- Monuments -- Guidebooks
Monuments -- Southern States -- Guidebooks
Zine Resources
- Remote Adobe Cloud Check OutThese tend to fill up fast, so you will need to reserve software in advance and wait for availability.
You can check out the zine cart at Wertz Art and Architecture Library during open hours. Open hours can be found at this link. Just ask at the circulation desk for the zine cart, which has various supplies (glue, scissors, paper, collage materials, markers, colored pencils, ect.) that you can use to make hardcopy zines. Pay-for-print (both b&w and color) are also available with MUlaa.