From Casablanca to Saving Private Ryan, the horrors and heroisms of World War II have provided decades of cinematic material. However, as director Fred Zinnemann masterfully demonstrated, meticulous exploration of the human experience—both immediately before the war (The Seventh Cross,… More»
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Treasures from the Vault: The Sky Gets a Chance! Gordon Matta-Clark Works on View at the Research Library
A new display case about American artist Gordon Matta-Clark just opened at the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute. I selected the items in the small case—which is just past the reception desk of the Research Institute lobby—from the archive… More»
Treasures from the Vault: The Carlhian Records
The Getty Research Institute is pleased to announce that the Carlhian records are now available for research. This archive enhances the Research Institute’s holdings in the history of decorative arts. Based in Paris, the Carlhian firm acquired and produced furniture, boiseries or… More»
Research Institute Launches New Search Interfaces for Library Catalog and Photo Study Collection
We’ve just made it easier to find research resources in the collection of the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute, one of the world’s largest art libraries. Last week, we launched a restyled and updated interface for the online… More»
The Quotable Man Ray
Man Ray’s black and white portraits are widely celebrated, but two recent acquisitions by the Getty Research Institute shift the focus back on the famous photographer, providing a revealing picture of the often private artist. The first acquisition, a compact… More»
Treasures from the Vault: Ray Kappe, Green Architecture Pioneer and SCI-ARC Founder
Researchers interested in studying post-World War II architecture in Southern California will be excited to learn that a new archive is now fully catalogued and available for study: the Ray Kappe papers. The collection, part of the Getty Research Institute’s… More»
Al’s Wall
Allen Ruppersberg is known for creating artworks that masquerade as ordinary objects, such as a diner, a hotel, a novel—and now, a wall. The artist spent a Thursday in September at the Getty Research Institute creating L.A. in the 70s,… More»
Meet Us at the 6th Annual Archives Bazaar
Do you love L.A.? Yes? You’re in for a treat! We’re gearing up to help celebrate the diverse history of Los Angeles at L.A. as Subject’s 6th Annual Archives Bazaar next Saturday, October 22. It runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00… More»
“The Photographer with the Soul of an Architect”: Lucien Hervé
In 1949, self-taught photographer Lucien Hervé (1910–2007) traveled from Paris to Marseille to see Unité d’habitation, a housing complex by architect Le Corbusier. Awed by the groundbreaking modern design, Hervé took 650 photographs of it in a single day. When… More»
Faces of the Mexican Revolution
When we think of the Mexican Revolution, many of us probably conjure up images of Pancho Villa or Emiliano Zapata, two of the most well-known figures from the ten-year civil war (1910-1920) that raged across Mexico during the early years… More»











