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Lighting Design

Research resources for the study of lighting design and technology.

Online Image Databases

Browsing Books for Images

You can search for books by title, author, subject, or keyword. Images found in books often come with good explanatory text or background information that can help you expand your search or articulate your vision.

PRO TIP

Once you find a title connected to your topic, I suggest coming to the library, finding your book on the shelf, thumbing through its pages, and exploring titles on the surrounding shelves. It might sound like an old-school way of finding images, but it can be a very effective way to discover good content serendipitously and quickly.

Browsing Magazines for Images

Physical Magazines

The library collects several major fashion and lifestyle magazines useful for historical reference and inspiration. Most magazine material is located on the 2nd floor. Latest issues will be in the 1st floor browsing area behind the stairs. We've listed only a few titles below — You'll find a lot more content when you browse stacks in the library. You can also search by title here.

Woman's Home Companion April 1950 Good Housekeeping, February 1965 Esquire cover, John Lennon Ebony cover, March 1987

 

 

Digital Magazines

The library also provides digital access to full-page scans (images included) of many major magazines. While it's arguably harder to "browse" for content in most digital databases, good keywords can help you find what you're looking for right away in LibrarySearch (e.g., Shaker furniture, wedding dress, Gothic cathedral, etc.). You can also limit search results by date in the left hand filter if you're looking for images from a specific time period.

PRO TIP

Use LibrarySearch (or on the library homepage) to search across multiple publications. Use the links below if you want to look at digital versions of specific titles.