Research Guides: Theater Research Guide: Find Images

Image Databases & Websites

Artstor This link opens in a new window
A collection of images from major museums. ARTSTOR images cover art, architecture and archeology. Useful for personal or shared uses, and creating and delivering presentations. ARTSTOR is available solely for educational and scholarly uses that are noncommercial in nature. Images may NOT be placed on publicly accessible websites. UNC Charlotte students, faculty and staff can register for an account which allows off-campus access; this registration must happen while on campus.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Provides access to academic journals and books covering a wide range of disciplines; it also includes some limited primary source collections.

For help with Artstor, visit the ARTstor YouTube channel for tutorials, or use their subject guides with keyword suggestions, search tips, & collection content.

The British Library
The British Library’s collections on Flickr Commons offer access to millions of public domain images.
Flickr: Creative Commons
A collection of images published on Flickr using a Creative Commons license that can be used with proper attribution.
Flickr: The Commons
Images have no known copyright (public domain). From cultural institutions world-wide.
Google Arts & Culture
Includes works from cultural institutions and artists around the world.
Library of Congress
Free and open access to sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience
LIFE Photo Archive hosted by Google
Photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750's to today.
more...less...
Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google.
Open Access Images & Videos Guide
Guide lists several websites (museums, universities, professional associations) that offer open access images and videos.
Pinterest
1. Always credit images by linking to the original source. BE AWARE OF COPYRIGHT.
2. If the source is on Pinterest, use the @ format to link to the person/organization.
3. When re-pinning, use the @username function to acknowledge the source by name.
4. Avoid any source links that do not appear to be legitimate; this will help you avoid malicious links.
Pixabay
Over 1.4 million royalty free stock photos & videos submitted by website users.
Smithsonian Institution Collections Search
Over 17.4 million records of museum objects, archives and library materials. Includes more than 6.8 million images, audio & videos and blog posts.
VADS (Visual Arts Data Service)
Online resource of freely available images in art and design (based in the UK). A alternative to ARTstor.
Wikimedia Commons
Includes over 9 million freely usable media files..

Finding Images and Articles in JSTOR

Theatre Materials from the VRC

Visual Resources Collection of the College of Arts & Architecture is digitizing programs & performances from the Department of Theatre. The link below is to a PDF of the items that have been digitized. The best way to see if we have what you need using this list is to download it & use Ctrl + F to do a search. This list will be updated monthly.

If you would like to access content on the list, contact the Visual Resources Lecturer, Jenna at jduncan@uncc.edu.

CoAA Theatre Resource Digitization Guide

Copyright & Fair Use

Ask the following questions:

How are you using the image? Bibliography, Note, Caption
What citation style are you using? MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian
What is the source of the image you are using?
- Museum/Gallery/Urban setting like architecture
- Image database
- Publications like books & article

Tips:

Use public domain material when possible
Get license to use image if needed
Look for Web creator's statement of permissible use & for suggested credit line

Check out these resources for information on copyright

Purdue OWL for MLA, APA & Chicago
Artists Rights Society
Citing Images (University of Cincinnati)
Copyright & Art Issues (University of Oregon)
Copyright Term & the Public Domain in the United States
Crash Course in Copyright
Creative Commons
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Visual Resources Association: Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research & Study
WATCH File (Writers Artists & Their Copyright Holders)

Fair use considerations

Nonprofit or profit use
Creative or factual work
Image changed to new work
Impact on economic value of work

Reading an Image

Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, & create images & visual media.

If you are visually literate, you can:

Determine the nature & extent of the visual materials needed
Find & access needed images & visual media effectively & efficiently
Interpret & analyze the meanings of images/visual media
Evaluate images & their sources
Use images/visual media effectively
Design & create meaningful images/visual media
Understand many of the ethical, legal, social, & economic issues surrounding the creation & use of images/visual media, & access & use visual materials ethically

http://www.ala.org/acrl/st&ards/visualliteracy

Image shows the two versions of the same production featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and The Creature in Frankenstein.

Consider source material, costumes, make-up, set design, lighting, body language, etc.