Study Resources

Resources for studying History of Art at UCL.

UCL Research Resources 

Slade Research Centre Archive
The Slade's lively and dynamic studio-led research culture.

UCL Museums & Collections Research
We develop internal and external dialogue, develop resources to support collections-based research, and facilitate funded projects.

UCL Urban Lab
Our activities currently focus on five key areas: housing and dishousing; ecology and metabolism; change and crisis; imagination and design; and data and place.

UCL Art Museum
UCL Art Museum's collections contain over 10,000 objects including paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture dating from 1490 to the present day.

Lending Libraries

UCL Main Library

The Main Library primarily holds collections in the Arts & Humanities and there is an equally large Science Library close by, in the former National Central Library building in Malet Place acquired by UCL in 1967 and named after DMS Watson, Jodrell Professor of Zoology (1921-1951).

University of London Library

Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London, and the home library for the School of Advanced Study. We offer Arts, Humanities and Social Science Research Collections and Special Collections in the heart of London's student and research community.

The London Library

The magnificent Victorian Reading Room sits at the heart of the Library. Housing a key part of our current Periodicals Collection and accommodating up to 40 readers at any one time, the Reading Room has a special place in London's literary life.

Public Lending Libraries

Barbican Library

Arts Library consists primarily of individual monographs covering: historical, geographical and critical treatments, particular artists and schools and manuals.

Borough of Wandsworth Public Libraries, Battersea Reference Library

Special collection of pre-1976 architecture books, membership of any Public Library grants borrowing rights.

Victoria Library

Large lending collection of books on the fine arts. Arrangements can be made for members of other public libraries to borrow books.

Reference Libraries

 

University of London - Reference Libraries

The School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies (SEES)
SEES is part of UCL. You thus have full access to its Library. This holds an extensive and remarkable collection of books on the art and architecture of Eastern Europe. Inter-Library Day Tickets are issued to allow a registered reader of one university library occasional and infrequent consultation of materials in another. If the need for more frequent consultation arises you should apply for an External Reader's Ticket.

Birkbeck College Library
Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX.
Tel: 0207 631 6239
Term: Monday-Friday 10 .00-22.00, Saturday 10.00-17.00
Vacation: Monday-Friday 10.00- 22.00, Saturday 10.00-17.00 (Easter only)
Library use by non-Birkbeck students may be restricted to 10.00-17.00
Useful collection of art books.

Courtauld Institute of Art Book Library
Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2.
Tel: 0207 848 2701
Term: Monday-Friday 09.30 -19.00
Vacation: 10 .30 -17.00
Book Library closed throughout August.
Good general collection; the Institute also houses the Witt and the Conway photographic collections. UCL ID card is required for access; restrictions on non-research students.

Goldsmiths' College Library
Lewisham Way, London, SE14 6NW.
Tel: 0207 919 7189
Term: Monday-Friday 08.30 - 21.00, Saturday 09.30-17.30
Vacation: Monday-Friday 08.30-17.00
A collection for practising artists but with good strength in some multiculturalist and critical-theory aspects of art history. Open to all members of the University for reference using the day ticket scheme.

School of Oriental and African Studies Library
Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HP.
Tel: 0207 323 6109
Monday-Thursday 09.00-22.45, Friday 09.00-19.00, Saturday 09.30-17.00. Summer vacation Monday-Friday 09.00-17.00, Saturday 09.30-17.00
Comprehensive collection on Asian and African art; UCL ID card is required for access.

Warburg Institute Library
Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AB.
Tel:0207 862 8949
Monday-Friday 10.00-18.00, Saturday 10.00-13.00
Closed August and September
Special collections, e.g., archaeology, iconography, Byzantine, German and Italian art, the classical tradition, etc.; normally for graduate students only. Letter of recommendation from Head of Department required. Restricted access and borrowing.2.

These libraries are for reference only with no lending facilities and in most cases no access to the stacks. Most now have web-sites.

The British Architectural Library
Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, W1N 4AD
Tel: 0207 580 5533
Comprehensive library on all aspects of architecture. Open to the general public for reference. Restricted access.

The British Library
The British Library at Saint Pancras, Euston Rd London, NW1.
Tel: 0207 412 7332
The national collection of books: Undergraduates are now admitted with UCL ID card plus proof of residence (gas bill, bank statement, etc.).

The Chelsea School of Art
Manresa Road, London, SW3 6LS.
Special art-historical collection for the period 1850 to the present at Manresa Road (0207 514 7773), and good collection of Artist's Books. Design and applied arts mainly at Lime Grove (0207 514 7901). Graphic design and photography at Hugon Road (0207 514 7001). Students may use the Library for reference but not for borrowing, they must sign visitors' book and produce UCL ID card or other proof of identity and address.

The India Office Library and Records
The British Library at Saint Pancras, Euston Rd London, NW1.
Tel: 0207 412 7332
Extensive collections of Persian and Indian paintings and miniatures, western drawings of the Indian scene, prints and photographs. Collection of books on Indian art.

The National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL.
Tel: 0207 942 2400
Tuesday-Saturday10.0017.00
The most comprehensive collection of art books. Public reference library open to all for occasional use without ticket, reader's ticket required for regular use; access to special collections by endorsed ticket or prior arrangement.

The National Gallery Library
Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN.
Tel: 0207 747 3321
Primarily concerned with the gallery's own collection (European oil painting 1200-1900). Good collection of sales catalogues. Appointment must be made beforehand, preferably in writing, giving full details of the material students wish to consult.

Royal Asiatic Society
60 Queens Gardens, London, W2.
Tel: 0207 724 4741
Substantial resources in Asian art, especially 19th century India and South East Asia. Occasional reference use without ticket, lending only to fellows, research students and some undergraduates working in specialised fields.

The Royal College of Art Library
Kensington Gore, London, SW7.
Tel: 0207 590 4444
General art library, and special collection on all aspects of colour. Letter or recommendation required. Loans can be arranged through other College Libraries if necessary.

The Tate Gallery Library
Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG.
Tel: 0207 887 8838
Monday-Friday 10.00 -17.45
Admission restricted to researchers as a last resort. Prior written application necessary, accompanied by two references.

Westminster City Libraries, Central Reference Library - The Fine Arts Library
35 St Martin Street, London, WC2H 7HP.
Tel: 0207 641 4636
A very good general collection of books and periodicals on art including exhibition catalogues and Sotheby sales catalogues. The Preston Blake Library is a comprehensive collection on William Blake. Open to all enquirers for reference use only. There are no lending facilities and no access to the stacks. Many older periodicals in store: two days notice required. A performing arts collection is housed elsewhere in the Central Reference Library.

London: Museums and Galleries

 

Apsley House
149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London, W1J (Hyde Park Corner Tube)
Wed - Sun 11:00 - 17:00

Bank of England Museum
Bartholomew Lane, London, EC2R (Bank Tube)
Mon - Fri 10:00 - 17:00

Banqueting House
Whitehall, London, SW1A (Westminster or Embankment Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Barbican Art Gallery
Silk Street, London, EC2Y (Barbican Tube)
Temporary exhibitions

Ben Uri Gallery
108A Boundary Road, London NW8 (St. John's Wood, Maida Vale or Swiss Cottage Tube)
Temporary exhibitions

Bethlem Gallery and Museum of the Mind
Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, (Eden Park Rail)
Wed - Fri 10:00 - 17:00 and first and last Sat of the month

British Museum
Great Russell St, London, WC1 (Russell Square Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:30 (Fri to 20:30)

The Cartoon Museum
63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia W1A (Oxford Circus Tube)
Tue - Sat 10:30 - 20:00, Sun 12:00 - 16:00

Chiswick House
London, W4 (Turnham Green Tube or Chiswick Rail)
Seasonal opening

Clink Prison
1 Clink Street, London, SE1 (London Bridge Tube and Rail)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00 (extended at weekends and in the Summer)

Design Museum
224-238 Kensington High Street, London, W8 (High Street Kensington Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

Dickens House Museum
48 Doughty Street, London, WC1N (Russell Square Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Dulwich Picture Gallery
Gallery Road, London, SE21 (West Dulwich or North Dulwich Rail)
Tues - Fri 10:00 - 17:00, Sat - Sun 11.00 - 17.00

Estorick Collection
39a Canonbury Square, Islington, N1 (Highbury & Islington or Angel Tube)
Wed - Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 12.00 - 17.00

Fashion and Textile Museum
83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 (London Bridge Tube and Rail)
Temporary exhibitions

The Foundling Museum
240 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N (Russell Square Tube)
Tue - Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00

Freud Museum
20 Maresfield Gardens, London, NW3 (Finchley Road Tube)
Wed - Sun 12:00 - 17:00
Museum in house where Sigmund Freud once lived and practised psychoanalysis

Geffrye Museum
136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 (Hoxton Rail)
Closed for two years from January 2018

GRAD: Gallery for Russian Arts and Design
3-4a Little Portland Street London W1W 7JB (Oxford Circus Tube)
Tue - Fri 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00

Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Yard (off Gresham Street), London EC2V (Bank, Mansion House, Moorgate or St. Paul's Tube)
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 12:00 - 16:00

Ham House
Ham Street, Richmond, TW10 (Richmond Rail then 1.5 mile walk)
Seasonal opening

Hampton Court Palace
East Molesey, KT8 (Hampton Court Rail)
Daily 10:00 - 16:30

Hayward Gallery
Southbank Centre, London SE1 (Waterloo Tube and Rail)
Temporary exhibitions

Hogarth's House
Hogarth Lane, Great West Road, London, W4 (Turnham Green Tube)
Tue - Sun 12:00 - 17:00

Horniman Museum
100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 (Forest Hill Rail)
Daily 10:30 - 17:30

Imperial War Museum
Lambeth Road, London, SE1 (Lambeth North Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

Institute of Contemporary Art
The Mall, London, SW1Y (Charing Cross or Piccadilly Circus Tube)
Tue - Sun 11:00 - 23:00

Jewish Museum London
Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, London NW1 (Camden Town Tube)
Sun - Thu 10:00 - 17:00, Fri 10:11 - 14:00

Dr Johnson's House
17 Gough Square, London, EC4 (Blackfriars Tube and Rail)
Mon - Sat 11:00 - 17:00

Kenwood House
Hampstead Lane, Hampstead, NW3 (Golders Green or Archway Tube then no. 20 Bus)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Leighton House Museum
12 Holland Park Road, London, W14 (Kensington Olympia Tube and Rail)
Weds - Mon 10:00 - 17:30

London Transport Museum
Covent Garden, London (Covent Garden Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

William Morris Gallery
Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 (Walthamstow Central Tube and Rail)
Wed - Sun 10:00 - 17:00

Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 (Bethnal Green Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:45

Museum of London
London Wall, London, EC2Y (Barbican or St Paul's Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

Museum of London Docklands
West India Quay, Canary Wharf, London, E14 (West India Quay DLR, Canary Wharf Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

National Army Museum
Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea SW3 (Sloane Square Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:30

National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N (Leicester Square or Charing Cross Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00 (Fri to 21:00)

National Maritime Museum
Romney Road, Greenwich, SE10 (Greenwich Rail or Cutty Sark DLR)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

National Portrait Gallery
St. Martin's Place, London, WC2H (Leicester Square or Charing Cross Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00 (Thu - Fri to 21:00)

Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 (South Kensington Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:50

The Florence Nightingale Museum
2 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 (Waterloo Tube or Rail)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

The Photographers' Gallery
16 - 18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW (Oxford Circus Tube)
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace Road, London (Victoria, Green Park or Hyde Park Corner Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:30

Queen's House
Romney Road, Greenwich, SE10 (Greenwich Rail or Cutty Sark DLR)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Ranger's House
Chesterfield Walk, Blackheath, SE10 (Blackheath Rail)
Seasonal opening

Red House
Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, DA6 (Bexleyheath Rail)
Seasonal opening

Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J (Piccadilly or Green Park Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00 (Friday to 22:00)

Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York's HQ, Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 (Sloane Square Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

The Science Museum
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 (South Kensington Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 18:00

Serpentine Galleries
Kensington Gardens, London, W2 (Lancaster Gate or Marble Arch Tube)
Tue - Sun 10:00 - 18:00

Sir John Soane's Museum
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2 (Holborn Tube)
Tue - Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Strawberry Hill
268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 (Strawberry Hill Rail)
Seasonal opening

Syon House
Syon Park, Brentford, TW8
Seasonal opening

Tate Britain
Millbank, London, SW1P (Pimlico Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:50

Tate Modern
Bankside, London, SE1 (Southwark or Blackfriars Tube)
Sun - Thu 10:00 - 18:00; Fri - Sat 10:00 - 22:00

Two Temple Place
2 Temple Place, London, WC2R (Temple Tube)
Temporary exhibitions

Victoria & Albert Museum
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 (South Kensington Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:45 (Fri to 22:00)

Wallace Collection
Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, W1M (Bond Street Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road, London, NW1 (Euston Tube and Rail)
Tue - Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00

Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High St., London, E1 (Aldgate East Tube)
Tue - Sun 11:00 - 18:00

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
All England Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19 (Southfields Tube)
Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Visual Resources

The History of Art Department's Visual Resources team are here to support staff and students in the provision and creation of digital media for teaching, learning and research.

Equipment and Services

Scanning Stations

These are available for the production of digital image files from photographs, book illustrations, prints up to A3 size, slides, photographic negatives and diapositives (slide film)

  • Epson A4 Perfection V750 Pro scanner.
  • Epson A3 GT-20000 scanner

Slide Library

We still maintain the departmental slide collection. This archive of well over 100,000 analogue photographic slides was for many years key to the teaching in the department but has now been superseded by digital images.

AV Support - Teaching Spaces

We offer support to staff and students for the use of audio-visual equipment in the department's teaching spaces. 

Advice on Copyright

Many of the materials used in teaching and learning within the HoA department (and UCL as a whole) are protected under copyright law. However, there are exceptions within the law which allow for certain usage in education. UCL also holds licences permitting copying of parts of the library holdings and for the use of certain broadcast materials.

Use of text and images for quotation and example in essays and seminar presentations should be covered by these exceptions and licences.

Further information can be obtained from:

 IPO publications of particular interest-

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss copyright issues in more detail please contact Martin Perks.

Developments

We hope to expand this section of the website to offer more detailed advice, guidance and resources in the area of multimedia presentations tools and the integration of  audio, visual, online and digital media within teaching, learning and research.

Web Resources