Photographic Collection

With a collection of more than 1,300,000 photographs, negatives, digital images and digitized material, primarily on Italian art and architecture from late antique until the present day, the Photographic Collection is one of the world's leading art historical photo archives. Scientific photographic campaigns using state-of-the-art technology support research at the institute, anticipate research projects, and define new standards for documentary photography.

Furthermore, the collection grows systematically through the addition of photographic campaigns and acquisitions as well as donations and bequests. The progressive digitization and scientific cataloging of the collection implies its constant updating and at the same time historicization. Photographs are brought to the forefront of scientific discourse both as objects in their own right and as carriers of visual information, enabling far-reaching contextualizations. The Photographic Collection is actively involved in these aspects and in mediating them.

Online Catalog: https://foto.biblhertz.it/

Photographic Services

The Photographic Collection is located on the second floor of the new building and on the piano nobile of Palazzo Zuccari. The photographic prints are accessible in a free-hand display. Part of the collection is temporarily stored in the basement of Palazzo Zuccari and can be ordered. All new acquisitions as well as a growing portion of the older holdings are available in the Online Catalog. Photographs for which the Bibliotheca Hertziana holds the copyrights can be ordered as high-resolution digital images for publication purposes. This applies to most of the photographs bearing the following classifications:

Negative numbers          U.Pl.*** or U.Fi.***
Digital images                   bhim***
Archives/Photographs  D'Onofrio, Leotta, Savio, Sigismondi, Rigamonti, Vescovo

Orders for publication purposes can be placed with the secretariat of the Photographic Collection (Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) or by mailing this form [Download pdf file] to fototeca@biblhertz.it.
Visitors can order all photographs as low-resolution pdf files with watermarks for the exclusive purpose of research and study from the information desk. Electronic and postal orders for study purpose are not possible.