Art History and Visual Studies: Books

The University of Manchester Library has an extensive collection of printed books relevant to members of the School of Art History. These are housed in the Main Library and the Art and Archaeology Site Library.

The main collection is located largely on Blue 4 of the Main Library.

The Art and Archaeology Site Library includes Art and Archaeology books that supplement the stock of the Main Library and contain copies of recommended reading and core texts. There are also undergraduate and postgraduate theses/dissertations and Art History journals.

The DVD/Video collection contains feature films and documentaries.

You can find e-books by accessing Library Search or by using the links below:

You can find e-books by searching the Library Search or by using the links below:

Find help and support with all aspects of locating and borrowing resources.

You can access your course reading lists in Blackboard. Log in via MyManchester, then click the ‘Reading Lists Online’ link in the left-hand menu to see your lists, or use the link below:

The University of Manchester Library is one of the largest subscribers to e-journals and databases in the UK but we don’t have access to everything.

If you find that we don’t hold a book, report, journal article or conference paper that you need, you can use our Inter-Library Loans service.

The following titles reflect the most recent textbooks purchased by the University of Manchester Library for your studies and research.

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The Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme (Dewey for short) to arrange books and other resources on the shelves so you can locate them easily. We're going to show you how to use Dewey to find a book at any Library site.

It is worthwhile carrying out a search on Google Books to see if a book is available to view online.

If you have a reading list for your course and the books are in use by other students, you can check to see if it has been fully or partially digitised by Google.

You can find further information on theses held at the University of Manchester and elsewhere on our theses guide.

Doctoral/Research Theses

Electronic versions of many open-access University of Manchester research theses, submitted from the 2010 session onwards, are available on Pure, the University of Manchester’s internal repository.

You can find the following reference books by using Library Search.

Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, unter Mitwirkung von 300 Fachgelehrten des In- und Auslandes. Herausgegeben von Dr. Ulrich Thieme und Dr. Felix Becker. 37 vols. Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 1907-1950. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/T12)

Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts, unter Mitwirkung von Fachgelehrten des In- und Auslandes. Bearbeitet, redigiert und herausgegeben von Hans Vollmer. 6 vols. Leipzig: E.A. Seemann, 1953-1962. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/T13)

Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon: die bildenden Künstler aller Zeiten und Völker. 53 vols. so far. Munich: Saur, 1983- . (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/A17)

Hugh Brigstocke, The Oxford companion to western art. Oxford: OUP, 2001. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/B10) Also available in electronic form

Joann Cerrito (ed.), Contemporary artists. 4th ed. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1996. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/C33)

Checklist of British artists in the Witt Library. London: Witt Library Courtauld Institute of Art, 1991. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 750.91/W6)

A checklist of painters c.1200-1994: represented in the Witt Library, Courtauld Institute of Art, London. London: Mansell, 1995. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 750.91/W11)

Ian Chilvers (ed.), The Oxford dictionary of art. 3rd edition. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Available as an electronic book.

Muriel Emanuel (ed.), Contemporary architects. 3rd ed. London: St. James Press, 1994. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 720.91/E10)

Enciclopedia dell'arte antica classica e orientale. 7 vols. + Indice, Supplemento and Atlantes. Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 1958-66. (Blue 3 Reference Collection, Folio 913.03/E25)

Encyclopedia of world art. London: McGraw-Hill, 1959-1968. 15 vols. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/E18)

Delia Gaze (ed.), Dictionary of women artists. 2 vols. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/G47)

Amanda Hopkinson (ed.), Contemporary photographers. 3rd ed. London: St. James Press, 1995. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 770.3/C3)

Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae. Zurich: Artemis, 1981-99. 8 vols. in 16 parts + 2 index volumes. (Blue 3 Reference Collection, 913.38/L100)

Harold Osborne (ed.), The Oxford companion to art. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/O1)

Harold Osborne (ed.), The Oxford companion to twentieth-century art. Oxford: OUP, 1981. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/O3)

Adolf K. Placzek (ed.), Macmillan encyclopedia of architects. 4 vols. London : Free Press, 1982. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 720.91/P95)

Helene E. Roberts (ed.), Encyclopedia of comparative iconography: themes depicted in works of art. 2 vols. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/R21)

Jane Turner (ed.), The dictionary of art. 34 vols. London: Macmillan, 1996. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 703/T25) Also available in electronic form.

Who's who in art. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 709.1/W65)

Christopher Wright (comp.), The world's master paintings: from the early Renaissance to the present day: a comprehensive listing of works by 1,300 painters and a complete guide to their locations worldwide. 2 vols. London: Routledge, 1992. (Blue 3 Reference Collection 750.3/W2)