Library Guides: History of Architecture: Getting started

Introduction

This is a brief bibliographic guide to general resources for researching architectural history in the Environmental Design Library, UC Berkeley. It includes selected reference works, both print and electronic, and important historical surveys. For additional assistance please consult our other guides, in particular, Architecture Resources, which is a broader, more comprehensive list. Check the Library catalogs or the Environmental Design Library reference staff for further assistance.

Writing and Researching

For additional resources, see also Designing a Research Strategy, especially the sections on Style Manuals and Guides and Thesis/Dissertation Writing and Research.

Art information: research methods and resources, Lois Swan Jones. 3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1990. Includes chapter on architecture.
Art information and the Internet: how to find it, how to use it, Lois Swan Jones. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1999. Also ebook.
The dissertation: an architecture student's handbook, Ian Borden. end ed. Amsterdam ; Boston ; London : Architectural, 2006.
Image-based research: a sourcebook for qualitative researchers, Jon Prosser, ed. Bristol, PA: Falmer Pr., 1998.
A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations, by Kate L. Turabian. 6th ed. rev. by John Grossman and Alice.Bennett. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Chicago guides to writing, editing, and publishing.
Principles of art history writing, by David Carrier. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1991.
Researching and writing in the humanities and arts, by Christine A. Hult. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.
A short guide to writing about art, Sylvan Barnet. 10th ed.Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2011. Short guide series. One of the best. Includes writing, interpeting, analyzing, etc. both art and architecture.
A short guide to writing about history, Richard Marius. 9th ed. Boston : Pearson, 2015.
Visualizing research, a guide to the research process in art and design, by Carole Gray and Julian Malins. Aldershot, Hants, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2004. Also ebook.
Writing about art, Marjorie Munsterberg. [New York]: c2009. Online edition available at http://www.writingaboutart.org/. Includes a step-by-step guide to researching art historical topics.
Writing about art, Henry M. Sayre. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2009.

Contact Information

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Bibliographies, Guides to the Literature

For a more general list of architectural bibliographies, consult Architecture Resources: Indexes, Abstracts, and Bibliographies. See also Key Resources for Art Historical Research and Library Catalogs and Special Collections in Architecture.

American Association of Architectural Bibliographers. Papers. New York: Garland, 1965–1979. 13 vols. Index to v.1–10 in v. 11. Garland Reference Library of the Humanities. Western architecture, mostly modern architects. Indexed by subject and series in the library catalogs.
"Architecture," Chapter J. in Guide to the literature of art history. ed. by Etta Arntzen, Robert Rainwater. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980, p. 193–234. Scholarly guide to the literature.
"Architecture," Chapter J. in Guide to the literature of art history 2, ed. by Max Marmor and Alex Ross. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005. Supplements previous edition, above.
Architecture: a bibliographic guide to basic reference works, histories, and handbooks. Donald L. Ehresman. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1984. Good beginning points, although many are now dated.
Architecture on screen: films and videos on architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, city and regional planning, comp. and ed. by the Program for Art on Film. New York: G.K. Hall, 1993. 940 film and video titles, with emphasis on architectural history. Productions originated in thirty-six countries and produced between 1927–1992, with most released since 1980.
Architecture reading lists and course outlines, ed. by Georgia Bizios. Durhan, N.C.: Eno River Press, 1991–present. Survey of course outlines, syllabi and reading lists from graduate and undergraduate architecture programs of 28 universities.
Architecture series—bibliography. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies, 1978. Wide array of topics. Most are good starting places. Use the 3 cumulative indexes.
Bibliografia storico-critica dell'architettura civile ed arti subalterne. Angelo Comolli. Milano, Labor riproduzioni e documentazioni [1964–65] 4 vols. Facsimile of original ed. 1788–92. First bibliography on architecture and related arts. Serves as a history of architectural criticism., and "indexes" early architectural literature. Classified, annotated bibliography covering early historical and theoretical works. Classification scheme in beginning of vol. 1. Author and title indexes at end of vol. 2, 3, 4. Index of vol. 2 covers vol. 1–2.
British architectural books and writers, 1556–1785. Eileen Harris. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Scholarly compilation of British architecture and building books, including complete bibliographic description and collation, location in any of 4 major architecture libraries in England and North America, and a critical essay on each title. Organized alphabetically by author, with a chronological index of titles and editions, and an overall index.
Goode's bibliography : doctoral dissertations relating to American architectural history, 1897-1995. James M. Goode. 2nd ed. Chicago: Society of Architectural Historians, 1995.
Indigenous architecture worldwide: a guide to information sources. Lawrence Wodehouse. Detroit: Gale Research,1980. Gale information guide library, Art and architecture information guide series; v. 12. Bibliography of vernacular architecture by continent and country.
IRB-Literaturauslese. In library catalogs search series: IRB-Literaturauslese for a list of complete holdings. Bibliographies (in German) on a wide array of topics on architecture and architects.
La letteratura artistica; manuale delle fonti della storia dell'arte moderna. 2 ed. italiana aggiornata . Firenze, "La Nuova Italia" [1956] Pensiero storico, 12. Originally published in German as Die Kunstliteratur, valuable bibliography of literature of art and architectural history up to early 19th century.
Sources of modern architecture: a critical bibliography, Dennis Sharp. 2nd ed., rev. and enl. London; New York: Granada, 1981.
20th century architecture, a reader's guide, Martin Pawley. Oxford, Boston: Architectural Press, 2000.

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History of Architecture: Getting started

Introduction

Writing and Researching

Contact Information

Bibliographies, Guides to the Literature