Visual Resources Database
Visual Resources Database
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Help Basic Search

The basic search finds objects based on Keywords and Date.

Helpful Tips:

  • Search for complete phrases by using quotation marks. Words enclosed in double quotes (e.g. "Mississippi River") will return only those results that appear in the catalog record exactly and in the order you entered them.
  • In every index the asterisk symbol ' * ' acts as a wildcard. For example, entering ' ander* ' in the keyword search box will return all items with the word Anders, Anderson, Andersen, etc.
  • You can also create searches that based on particular collections. Selecting and/or unselecting the collection areas you wish to search will help to better define your searches.
  • Both the basic and advanced searches, by default, return all records. To perform a search for only those records with corresponding images, check the box labeled "Show only those with digital images." This will ensure that all items that match your search parameters also have digital images.

Keywords:
Search the Visual Resources Database by entering one or more words in the keywords search box. Using multiple words will help narrow your search. Use double quotation marks (" ") to perform phrase searching. By entering a keyword you will be searching all of the following fields: Title, Subjects, Artist/creator's name, Artist/creator's nationality, Artist/creator's role, and Publisher. It is not necessary to use punctuation.

EXAMPLE:
Keywords: Searches For:
fishing itasca lake Returns all objects with 'fishing' AND 'itasca' AND 'lake' in any of the fields listed above.
"lake itasca" Returns all objects containing the phrase "Lake Itasca."

Date:
If you are looking for objects by date, enter the year(s) in both the Year From and Year To boxes. For objects created between 1900 and 1930, enter '1900' in the Year From search box and '1930' in the Year To search box. To search for a single year, type the same year in both boxes.

EXAMPLE:
Year From: Year To: Searches For:
1900 1930 Returns all objects created from 1900 through 1930.
1970 1970 Returns all objects that were created in 1970.