Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine color photograph collection, approximately 1960–2010

The collection includes slides donated by or purchased from scholars, other institutions, or vendors, depicting a wide range of subjects from Byzantine art and architecture. Approximately one third of the collection depicts objects found in museums or libraries throughout Europe and the U.S.: manuscripts, coins, metalwork, paintings, sculpture, ivories, enamels, jewelry, and textiles. Some of the institutions whose materials are represented in the collection include: the Vatican library, the Walters Art Gallery, the Bodleian Library, as well as Dumbarton Oaks' own museum collections. The other two-thirds depict architecture or architectural decoration (mosaics, frescoes, architectural sculpture). Architectural sites depicted are primarily clustered around the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia), with additional representation of Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia). Some of the scholars who contributed photographs include: Clive Foss, André Grabar, Gary Vikan, and David Wright.

Access and Rights

Access to the collection is by appointment only. Schedule an appointment.

Photographs in this collection were acquired from a wide variety of sources, and in most cases copyright was not transferred. Please consult with ICFA staff to determine whether Dumbarton Oaks owns the rights to a photograph on a case-by-case basis. Request images.

Preferred citation: Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Color Photograph Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, DC.