Last revised: July 2009
Architecture Resources Gateway - History and Precedent
Concepts: Building types and styles; putting buildings in context; land research; people research; interiors; landscapes. Primary source documents such as letters, papers of architects and deeds.
The researchers and practitioners of architecture borrows heavily from their predecessors. Therefore, it is critical to consider even the most innovative architecture and design from an historical context. This guide will lead to sources that provide insight into the development of architecture and past styles, practices and theories.
This guide functions as an independent entity in a series designed for the new and returning architecture researcher. Consult the entire series at Architecture Resources Gateway.
Table of Contents
Useful Reference Books
- Ching, Frank, Mark M. Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A global history of architecture. Hoboken, NJ: J. Wiley & Sons, 2007.
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Folio
CALL NUMBER: NA200 .C493 2007 - Clark, Roger H. and Michael Pause. Precedents in architecture: analytic diagrams, formative ideas, and partis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005 (3rd edition).
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Folio
CALL NUMBER: NA2750 .C55 2005 - Fletcher, Banister, Sir. A history of architecture on the comparative method. (17th edition). New York: Scribner, 1961.
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Stacks
CALL NUMBER: NA200 .F63 1961 - MacDougall, Elisabeth Blair (ed.). The Architectural historian in America. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1990.
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Folio
CALL NUMBER: N5303 .U51 vol.35 - Roth, Leland M. Understanding architecture: its elements, history, and meaning. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2007.
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Stacks
CALL NUMBER: NA2500 .R68 2007 - Schimmelman, Janice Gayle. Architectural books in early America. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1999.
LOCATION: Architecture Library Reference
CALL NUMBER: NA2515 .S35 1999
The "Living Architecture" series is good for international and non-Western buildings and sites. Use the catalog's advanced search:
- Go to catalog, click advanced search.
- Scroll down to browse search, then choose "series beginning with" from the drop-down and type in "living architecture"
Subject Headings (catalog keywords)
Use these when browsing in the catalog. Pick "subject beginning with" as the type of search. You will get a list with further subject breakdowns and can see what might be useful to you. An example of this kind of search is pictured below the list.
- Architecture - history
- Architects and builders
- Buildings
Some Relevant Databases
- America: History and Life
Good for articles dealing with architecture from the perspective of other fields of study. - Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
Always a very good place to start! - Digital Sanborn Maps
The library subscribes to these extremely useful historic maps for Maryland, D.C., and Virginia.
Journals to Browse
Any journal with a long run will give you a nice sense of changes in style and mood over time. Both popular and scholarly journals, as listed below, are helpful. To see if the library has online access to a journal, use the journals tab in Research Port.
- Architectural Digest
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Current periodicals and Periodical Stacks
CALL NUMBER: NA730 .C2 A7 - Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Current periodicals and Periodical Stacks
CALL NUMBER: NA1 .A327 - RIBA Journal
LOCATION: UMCP Architecture Library Current periodicals and Periodical Stacks
CALL NUMBER: NA12 .R652
Special UM Resources
- Maps and GIS at McKeldin Library
- National Trust Library at Hornbake Library
- Visual Resources Collection in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation Building
Websites and Digital Collections to Consider
- American Memory (Library of Congress)
- Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus
- Great Buildings Online
- Prince George's County, MD Land Records Division
- Society of Architectural Historians
Strategic Research
Good research is complicated, especially in the digital and academic environments. No guide can begin to cover all the sources available, so Ask a Librarian when you need more information. Contact the subject area specialists for more information or to design a strategic and specific research plan: lotis@umd.edu, 301-405-9260 or pcossard@umd.edu, 301-405-6316.
This guide was authored by Kim Detterbeck and Lara Otis.
