Finding aid for the study photographs of ancient minor arts objects 76.P.17

Ann Harrison
Special Collections
2009
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu


Contributing Institution: Special Collections
Title: Study photographs of ancient minor arts objects
Creator: American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Creator: Serafis, Emile
Creator: Hutzel, Max
Creator: Goldscheider, Ludwig, 1896-1973
Creator: Frantz, Alison
Creator: Bini, Barbara
Creator: Becatti, Giovanni, 1912-1973
Creator: Victoria and Albert Museum
Creator: Getty Research Institute
Identifier/Call Number: 76.P.17
Physical Description: 36.4 Linear Feet (174 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1900s
Abstract: A collection of modern photographs assembled by the Getty Research Institute of ancient works of the minor arts, chiefly from the Greek and Roman periods, Greek Archaic through the late Roman Empire (6th century BC-6th century AD). Object types include: arms and armor, athletic equipment, furniture, jewelry, lamps, loomweights, masks, mirrors, models, molds, musical instruments, ornaments and appliqués, scales and weights, seals and stamps, textiles, toys, utilitarian objects, vessels, and votive objects.
Language of Material: English .

Access

Open for use by qualified researchers. For further information, consult the Guide to the Photo Archive and Database .

Biographical/Historical Note

In 1974, the J. Paul Getty Museum began assembling a "photo library" by consolidating the visual resources of each existing curatorial department. By the early 1980s, the Photo Archive was actively acquiring large collections of photographs from commercial and private sources and scholars' archives that contained a photographic component. In 1983, the nearly one million photographs of the Photo Archive were incorporated into the Research Institute's Special Collections.

Scope and Content of Collection

An assembled collection of modern photographs of ancient works of the minor arts, chiefly from the Greek and Roman periods, Greek Archaic through the late Roman Empire (6th century BC-6th century AD). Object types include: arms and armor, athletic equipment, furniture, jewelry, lamps, loomweights, masks, mirrors, models, molds, musical instruments, ornaments and appliqués, scales and weights, seals and stamps, textiles, toys, utilitarian objects, vessels, and votive objects.
The collection contains photographs from numerous sources, including commercial vendors and photographers, museum collections, auction houses, research institutions' archives, and scholars' archives and collections. Of particular importance are the photographs reproducing the contents of the James Tassie collection of casts of ancient gems at the Victoria and Albert Museum. One of the few sets of photographs documenting this collection, this corpus is important for the study of ancient gems, the history of gem collecting, iconographic sources of neoclassical images, and the formation of 18th century taste.
Significant scholars' archives contained in the collection include those of Giovanni Becatti and Ludwig Goldscheider. In addition, the collection contains selected prints of objects found in excavations carried out by Bryn Mawr College at Murlo, Italy; other photos were acquired from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Among commercial vendors and photographers, the most important sources are Alinari (including the Anderson and Brogi archives), Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, Bulloz, Christie's, Photographie Giraudon, Hirmer Verlag, Sotheby's, Max Hutzel, Barbara Bini, Alison Frantz, and Emile Serafis.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by object type, form, culture, and location (city, museum).

Other Finding Aids

The Photo Archive Database  includes photograph level access to approximately 44% of the photographs in this collection.

Processing History

Finding aid created in 2009.

Publication Rights

Photographs and permission to publish must be obtained from copyright holder(s). For further information, contact Library Reproductions and Permissions .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Implements, utensils, etc.
Gems, Ancient
Lamps, Ancient
Jewelry, Ancient
Mirrors
Masks
Musical instruments, Ancient
Models (Clay, plaster, etc.)
Toys
Textile fabrics, Ancient
Seals (Numismatics)
Photographic prints
Armor, Ancient
Athletics -- Equipment and supplies
Decoration and ornament, Ancient
Furniture, Ancient
Weights and measures, Ancient
Weapons, Ancient
Poggio Civitate Site (Italy)
Votive offerings
Goldscheider, Ludwig, 1896-1973 -- Photograph collections
Becatti, Giovanni, 1912-1973 -- Photograph collections
Tassie, James, 1735-1799

 

Study photographs of ancient minor arts objects

box 1, box 2, box 3, box 4, box 5, box 6, box 7, box 8, box 9, box 10

Arms and armor

box 11

Athletic equipment

box 12, box 13, box 14, box 15, box 16, box 17, box 18, box 19, box 20, box 21, box 22, box 23, box 24

Furniture

 

Jewelry

box 25

Amulets

box 25, box 26

Beads

box 27

Belts

box 28, box 29

Bracelets

box 30

Brooches, buckles

box 27

Chains, clasps

box 31, box 32

Diadems

box 33, box 34, box 35, box 36, box 37

Earrings

box 38, box 39

Fibulae

 

Gems

box 40

Cameo

box 41, box 42, box 43, box 44, box 45, box 46, box 47, box 48

Intaglio

box 49, box 50

Various

box 51, box 52, box 53, box 54, box 55, box 56, box 57, box 58, box 59, box 60

Tassie Gem Collection

Scope and Contents

Documentation of collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
box 61

Hair nets and spirals

box 62

Medallions, mouthpiece

box 63, box 64, box 65, box 66

Necklaces

box 62

Pectorals

box 67, box 68, box 69

Pendants

box 70

Pins

box 71, box 72, box 73, box 74, box 75, box 76

Rings

box 77

Group photographs

box 78, box 79, box 80, box 81, box 82, box 83, box 84, box 85, box 86, box 87

Lamps

 

Miscellaneous

box 88, box 89

Masks

box 90, box 91, box 92, box 93, box 94, box 95, box 96, box 97

Mirrors

box 98

Models

box 99

Loomweights

box 100, box 101, box 102, box 103

Ornaments and appliqués

box 104

Scales and weights

box 105, box 106

Seals and stamps

box 107

Toys

box 108, box 109

Votive objects

box 110

Musical instruments

box 111, box 112

Textiles

 

Utilitarian objects

box 113

Clothing, medical instruments

box 114

Naval equipment, toilet articles, tools

box 115

Kitchen utensils

box 116

Writing implements

box 117, box 118, box 119, box 120

Miscellaneous

 

Vessels

 

Bronze

box 121

Aegean, Cypriot, Egyptian

box 122, box 123, box 124, box 125, box 126, box 127, box 128

Etruscan

box 129, box 130, box 131, box 132

Greek

box 133, box 134, box 135, box 136, box 137

Roman

box 138

Faience

box 139, box 140, box 141, box 142, box 143, box 144, box 145, box 146, box 147, box 148, box 149, box 150, box 151, box 152, box 153, box 154

Glass

box 155, box 156

Gold

box 157, box 158

Ivory and bone

box 158

Leather

box 159, box 160, box 161, box 162, box 163, box 164, box 165, box 166

Silver

box 167, box 168, box 169, box 170, box 171, box 172

Stone

box 173

Wood

box 174*

Oversize photographs