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

The Berenson Fototeca is a collection of approximately 150,000 black-and-white photographs of Italian artwork, especially paintings and drawings from the 13th to the end of the 16th centuries. Berenson believed in capturing artwork in photograph form so as to enable the study of the creative process and the creation of artwork.

The Berenson Fototeca is a collection of approximately 150,000 black-and-white photographs of Italian artwork, especially paintings and drawings from the 13th to the end of the 16th centuries. Berenson believed in capturing artwork in photograph form in order to enable the study of the creative process and the creation of these works. The photographs are 3.9 x 5.9 inches and include the name of the artist, the subject, and the location of the original artwork, if known. The collection includes the works of artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, as well as, Cavallini, Filippino Lippi, Parmigianino, Sodoma, and many others.

The Roberta Keniston Postcard Collection contains six boxes of postcards and other visual ephemera from the 20th century. The collection focuses mostly in European architecture and painting. The majority of the postcards are blank, but some do include correspondence.

The Roberta Keniston Postcard Collection contains six boxes of postcards and other visual ephemera from the 20th century. The boxes are first organized by donor, and then very broadly divided by the type of architecture or artwork depicted on the postcards. These subdivisions are arranged by geographic region, media, and/or subject of the work shown on the postcard.

The majority of items in this collection are postcards dating from 1900-1918, which was during the “golden age” of postcard collecting, lasting from about 1895 to 1915. Other items, including photographs, souvenir photo books, greeting cards, and exhibition announcements in this collection were published throughout the 20th century. Correspondence to and from History of Art faculty and staff appear on some of the postcards.