Portraits Collection
The library collections include portraits of prominent people; among these are Swedish and foreign artists, academics, authors, statesmen and royalty. The portraits constitute a large body of materials that are not available for browsing online.
About the collection
The library has several collections of portraits - generally referred to as the Portraits Collection. These depict people of the upper strata of society, as well as from various trades; statesmen, academics, engineers, authors, artists, nobility and royalty from both Sweden and abroad. Apart from the portraits, there is sometimes ephemera with ties to those portrayed, sometimes in the form of news clippings or maps. The pictures are made with various techniques. The majority of the portraits are reproductions of photographs or engravings.
Many of the portraits are in large format, and hade possibly been intended for framing. As a biographical source material, the Portraits Collection is highly valuable, and mirrors historical hairstyles, dress and conventions for portraiture. Many of the portraits are not available online.
Acquisition history
One of the most extensive portrait collections was donated to the library in 1884 by stablemaster James Fredrik Dickson. Another large collection of portraits has been donated by factory owner Jean Jansson. The other collections have been purchased by the library.
Access the collection
Two of the Portraits Collections are available for browsing in card catalogues at the manuscript department. In order to request materials to the reading room, please contact the library.
Humanities library
Renströmsgatan 4
405 30 GOTHENBURG
Phone: 031-786 17 45
Text:
Kristina Sevo
Read more
Björkbom, Carl Algot Peter. Om ordnandet av grafiska porträttsamlingar, Oslo, 1933.
Björkbom, Carl Algot Peter. Svenska porträttsamlingar, Stockholm, 1935. Offprint from: Personhistorisk tidskrift: 1934:1-4.
Krispinsson, Charlotta. Historiska porträtt som kunskapskälla: Samlingar, arkiv och konsthistorieskrivning, Nordic Academic Press, Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2016, Lund, 2016. Available in digital form.
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
- Portrait collection in history.
- Presentation and rendition of portraits.
- Portraits within the history of art.
Please contact us if you have any suggested research topics you would like to share!