Research Guides: Illustration Research Portal: History

Search Tips

Use these call numbers and keywords to browse for books on these subjects in the library and the library catalog:

NC1-1940 Drawing, Design, Illustration
NC50-266 History of Drawing
NC950-996 Illustration

Research an Artist

Check out Oxford Art Online to learn basic information about people and concepts that had a significant impact on the history and development of illustration. "Search the News" Lexis Nexis to find information and exhibition reviews on contemporary Illustrators from 1980 to today.

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
An encyclopedic resource covering the history of art with an emphasis on western art.
Oxford Art Online is comprised of the Oxford Dictionary of Art, the Grove Encyclopedia of Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Oxford Companion to Western Art and includes an image library. This database provides peer-reviewed articles written by experts in the field to introduce key topics, themes, figures, and movements in the history of art. For help using Oxford Art Online, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Database of newspaper articles, magazine articles, legal documents, and company financial information from around the world.
Nexus Uni provides both historical and current news from publications around the world. U.S. government, legal, and financial documents are also available through Nexus Uni. The platform can be searched in a variety of ways, including by keyword, publication, and time period. For help using Nexus Uni, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.

History of Illustration

Illustration History Educational Resource and Archive (Norman Rockwell Museum) This link opens in a new window
Online resource and archive covering illustration history, genres, and artists. Short essays are illustrated by image galleries, with related essays linked on each page.

Image Resources

Image Library containing over one million images in all areas of the arts. For Illustration, search by keyword e.g. 'poster' then limit results by:

Classification = Graphic Design & Illustration

Artstor This link opens in a new window
Image repository of more than 2.5 million digital images with corresponding catalog information.
Artstor sources content from museums, archives, and libraries across the world for educational and research purposes. Beyond fine art and art history images, Artstor includes fashion, decorative arts, architecture, and photography. SCAD Libraries subscription allows for free use of images in presentations, assignments, and other non-commercial educational activities. For information on accessing and searching Artstor, visit: Artstor Quick-Start Guide.

Cover -- The Last Course, 1916

Images from Life This link opens in a new window
SCAD image database of illustrations and advertisements from the original Life magazine between 1883 and 1936.
Life magazine during the coverage period of this database addressed issues of politics, fashion, society, religion, and literature. Many famous illustrators and authors were contributors to Life, such as Charles Dana Gibson, Norman Rockwell, and Theodor Seuss Geisel. For more information about SCAD special collections databases, visit the SCAD Special Collections Guide.