Photographs | Special collections, archives and manuscripts
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Photographs

Photographs feature in many of the collections held by the University Library, for example under the shelf code "Utsikter" in the systematic part of Katalog -57. However, the majority of the photographs held by the library can be found in the many archives from private individuals and various associations.

About the library's photographs

The University Library has a great many photographs, but these are not held together as a single collection based on material type. Instead, most of the photos are part of specific archives belonging to private individuals or associations. In addition, there is a small collection of 20th century portraits, photographic plates with foreign motifs, and photo albums with depictions of various places around Europe. 

The majority of the photos held by the University Library cannot be found in Supersearch or Libris, as they are generally part of one of our archives. Nor have they been catalogued or registered separately. Some of them can be found by browsing the material type in question thorugh the cultural heritage platform Alvin.

Photos of Anna Marie Tengbom and Otto von Bismarck, from the collection of Hjördis Nordin-Tengbom.
Photos of Anna Marie Tengbom and Otto von Bismarck, from the collection of Hjördis Nordin-Tengbom.
Photo: Sarah Höilund
Hand-coloured photographic plate depicting Snow Hill Base camp of the Antarctic expedition, from the archives Otto Nordenskjöld.
Hand-coloured photographic plate depicting Snow Hill Base camp of the Antarctic expedition, from the archives Otto Nordenskjöld.
Photo: Okänd

Access the collection

Humanities library
Renströmsgatan 4
405 30 GOTHENBURG
Phone: 031-786 17 45

Contact us

Text:

Kristina Sevo

Read more

Dahlman, Eva, Bremmer, Magnus & Johansson, Björn Axel. Kvinnor bakom kameran 1848-1968, Bokförlaget Arena, Malmö, 2024.

Jylhä, Sanna & Rosenström, Marika (ed.), Med kamera och koffert: resefotografier före massturismen, Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, Helsingfors, 2021.

Jönsson, Janne (ed.), A way away: Swedish photographers explore the world 1862-2018, Landskrona foto, Landskrona museum, [Landskrona], 2018.

Langgåt, Anja Hysvær & Tolgensbakk, Ida (ed.), Dagliglivets fotografiske praksiser, Museumsforlaget, Trondheim, 2023. 
Digitally available through https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_pliktmonografi_000024107

Suggested research topics

  • An overview of the collection's contents. What is represented here, and how does it mirror the time and context of the material? 
  • Biographical research 
  • Historical photography in Sweden. 
  • Portrait photos, artistic and social aspects. 
  • Technical aspects of conservation of older photos. 

Please contact us if you have any suggested research topics you would like to share! 

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