Collections : [University of Michigan History of Art Visual Resources Collection]

The Asian Art Photographic Distribution (AAPD) project was established at the University of Michigan in 1970 with excess funds left over from the Palace Museum Archive from the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. From 1971-2006, AAPD produced and sold sets of 35mm slides depicting Asian artworks from various museum collections and exhibitions.

Slides are grouped into sets based on the repository or exhibition of the artworks documented. The objects represented by this collection came from public and private collections as well as traveling exhibitions. Subjects cover a wide range of artistic media including painting, sculpture, calligraphy, etc. Geographic regions include China, Japan, and central Asia. Time periods covered range from ancient to twentieth century.

Supplementing the slides are two file folder cabinet drawers, approximately three linear feet in total, of documentation relating to the creation and sales of AAPD slide sets.

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The Rudolf Arnheim collection is composed of over 6,000 35mm slides used by Dr. Arnheim during the course of his research and teaching. The collection includes slides of architecture throughout Europe and North America, as well as photography and artwork, both ancient and modern, including artists such as Michelangelo, Matisse, and Edgar Degas.

The Rudolf Arnheim collection is composed of over 6,000 35 mm slides, which Dr. Arnheim used during the course of his study and teaching. Many of the slides depict art objects which are now unavailable from commercial sources and Arnheim's slides are often superior quality than reproductions made obtainable through copy photography. Arnheim's research focused on the science behind how humans experience art and the sensory world. Much of his research focused on architecture, paintings, sculpture, film, and music. The collection contains slides that capture the architecture of Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Spain, England, Scotland, Sweden, Canada, and America, among others. Slides depicting photography and sculpture, both modern and ancient, make up a significant portion of the collection, as well. The works of artists such as Michelangelo, Matisse, and Edgar Degas are also included in the collection. The Arnheim slides were re-sorted into their current boxes by Dr. Rudolf Arnheim himself.