Paul Mellon Centre Photographic Archive
Represented work of art
Photographic source
Archival context
Object numberPMCPA
Archival context
- Fonds:Paul Mellon Centre Photographic Archive
9 results
ClassificationsArchival Document
Scope and content The Archive contains 100,000 images of works of art by British artists and sculptors, created and compiled by the Paul Mellon Centre (and its predecessor institution, The Paul Mellon Foundation) between 1964 and 2013. Artists and sculptors represented are either British by birth, foreign artists and sculptors who have worked in Britain or foreign artists who have painted British sitters abroad. The historic period covered is 1500–1900. Owing to the historic research interests and activities of the Centre, the core focus is the eighteenth century, with holdings on artists including Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, Richard Wilson, Joseph Wright of Derby, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable being particularly strong. The images are mainly black and white, have been dry mounted on card, and key information about the work – such as artist, title, collection and source of the photograph – recorded on the front of the mount. The archive remains in, and has been catalogued according to, its original order. There are nine main sequences, as follows:PMCPA/1: Artists, A–ZPMCPA/2: Sculptors, A–ZPMCPA/3: Decorative Painting PMCPA/4: Sculpture CollectionsPMCPA/5: Paul Mellon Collection of PaintingsPMCPA/6: Paul Mellon Collection of Prints and DrawingsPMCPA/7: Sketchbooks, Albums of Drawings, Rare Books, and Collections of Prints and Drawings PMCPA/8: Sculpture in the Caribbean PMCPA/9: Unidentified Artists Within each sequence the images are further subdivided according to the subject matter (e.g. by artist, sculptor, house, locations, period, etc.). Aside from the information on the mounts, the archive is an exclusively a visual resource.
Acquisition information The collection has always been in the possession of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (or its predecessor institution, the Paul Mellon Foundation).
ArrangementThe archive has been arranged in its original order.
Conditions governing use The images in the Photographic Archive are derived from a variety of sources, so copyright in the collection is varied. The copyright status of each image is detailed at item level in the catalogue.
Accruals It is anticipated that new images may be added to the Centre’s Photographic Archive in future. These may be generated via the Centre’s everyday activities (such as the publishing programme). They may also come from external sources (such as donations by scholars or institutions).
Rights and reproductions
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Data Formats
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