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| Documentary Art - Online Help |
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| The Records
A general description of the
collection provides information on the provenance, history or general subject. These
collections, with some exceptions, are also described in more detail by finding aids,
usually at the item level.
This database contains item-level descriptions and describes a large part of our
documentary art holdings. The rest is described in finding aids or inventories available
only at the National Archives in Ottawa. As research in these holdings is subject to
various constraints, not the least of which is the requirement to consult original items
at the National Archives, we invite researchers interested in these holdings to write to
us to obtain more information. However, this database will meet many researchers'
requirements.
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| The Database
The National Archives has acquired
through bequests, donations, and planned acquisition, over 275,000 works of art that deal
mostly with Canada. The works include paintings, watercolours, prints, drawings,
caricatures, posters, medals, and sculptures. Some date back to the seventeenth century.
This search tool allows you to consult almost 160,000 entries that correspond to a
lesser number of works of art, given that some works have more than one description. About
5,000 digitized images of artworks are in the public domain and may be consulted on-line.
This number will gradually increase.
Descriptions are written mainly in the language of the creator-donor, with most
descriptions in English. Description standards have changed over the years and the amount
of detail about each work of art will vary from one description to another. Also,
databases are constantly evolving and corrections, additions and deletions may be made at
any time.
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| The Search Screens
Two search screens allow you to
browse through the database: the default General Search screen and the Detailed
Search screen that appears by clicking on that button. Check boxes and multiple choice
lists allow you to refine your search.
General Search Screen
With this screen you can enter any term or set of terms separated by the appropriate
logical connectors (consult The Search Syntax link for
more information). This is an integrated text search system. When the search is initiated,
all fields within the database are searched.
- For example:
- Type Julien for hits to this name, whether a work of art, an artist's name, place
name, etc.
The three check boxes under the heading To Limit the Search will reduce
the scope of the search to pre-defined subsets.
Checking off Descriptions with a digitized image will produce only
digitized images that are available online.
Checking off Descriptions of caricatures only will provide caricatures
only.
Checking off Descriptions of works of art excluding caricatures will
produce descriptions of works of art only.
The Number of references by page option allows you to change the number
of references appearing on the results page for the duration of the search in progress. By
default, the number is set to twenty.
Detailed Search Screen
The detailed search screen has the same attributes as the general search screen but
offers specific field search capability as well.
A Fonds/Collection search allows you to find descriptions of works of art
in a given collection. Use the specific name of the collection if known. For example, the
records of a government department will be identified by that department's name. Please
note that a fonds may appear under several distinct accessions but generally an accession
deals with one particular fonds.
A search by Creator will help you find an artist's works.
- For example:
- Type Julien to obtain descriptions of works of an artist whose name starts with
or ends with Julien.
A search by Accession number allows you to find descriptions of works of
art acquired by the National Archives at a specific time period. The exact accession
number must be known but it is possible to obtain this number by conducting a general
search.
- For example:
- Type 1986-14$ for descriptions of works with the accession number 1986-14 (the $
is used as a truncation, and the rest of the number was found while searching on Julien).
A search by Title allows you to find a document using one or more words
in the title.
- For example:
- Type house for works whose title includes this word.
A Reproduction copy number search will locate an item based on the
consultation number cited in publications or elsewhere.
- For example:
- Type in C-000385 (make sure to type in a six digit number, using zeros as
fillers), and you should obtain a description for the work of art. Some numbers are no
longer in the database because the items are no longer under our care or there are
copyright problems. If the consultation copy number does not appear in the database, contact our Reference Services for information.
A search by Key Words allows you to find any term or set of terms
separated by the appropriate logical connectors (consult The
Search Syntax link for more information). This is an integrated text search system.
When the search is initiated, all fields within the database are searched.
The three check boxes under the heading To Limit the Search will reduce
the scope of the search to pre-defined subsets.
Checking off Descriptions with a digitized image will produce only
digitized images that are available online.
Checking off Descriptions of caricatures only will provide caricatures
only.
Checking off Descriptions of works of art excluding caricatures will
produce descriptions of works of art only.
By checking off the two appropriate boxes, you can limit your search strictly to
digitized caricatures or strictly to digitized works of art.
The Default Operator between fields option allows you to change the
connector between the search fields only, and not between terms that you enter within a
field.
The Number of references by page option allows you to change the number
of references appearing on the results page for the duration of the search in progress. By
default, the number is set to twenty.
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| Search Tips
Enter in the appropriate field
whatever terms you feel best describe the document. It can be a work's title, a general
description, the artist's name, copyist, a place name, etc.
Unless you are looking for a specific work, conduct your search using limited terms.
Truncate if necessary, ? replaces a character, and $ replaces a chain of
characters, to allow for possible misspelling. If the search brings up too many
references, you can reduce the number of hits by using the appropriate logical connectors.
- For example:
- If you type Sm?th, you will obtain Smith, Smyth.
If you type patriot$,
you will obtain patriote, patriotes, patriotisme, patriotique,
patriotic, patriotism, etc.
Logical connectors AND, OR, ADJ allow more precision (follow The Search Syntax link to learn more).
- For example:
- Typing in Lord Dorchester OR Guy Carleton, will broaden your search to provide
you with works illustrating this person, whether identified by his title or his name.
If
you type war AND ship, you will get all descriptions combining these two words.
Type in war ADJ ship, and you will obtain all occurrences of these two words
together, in the order you typed them.
If possible, search in English and in French. Descriptions are currently
produced in the language of the creator-donor, but this has not always been the case. Most
descriptions are in English only. Titles remain in their original language, and are only
rarely translated.
- For example:
- First, type ship, and then navire, the results will not cancel each other
out.
Certain general terms such as the type of document or its medium could be in English or
in French.
- For example:
- First, type watercolour, and then aquarelle, for similar results.
Be careful with dates. You will only retrieve dates that correspond strictly to what
you have specified.
- For example:
- Type 1790-1810 to obtain only descriptions with this specific phrase, if there
are any. You will not get anything for the years 1791, 1792, 1793, etc. Use truncation to
improve your results.
Type 179$ for better results.
As the database contains descriptions of old documents, do not use only modern or
current words and terms when entering your search. Also use outdated expressions and words
whose meanings have changed over time to improve your results:
- For example:
- Settlers, sauvage, savage, Canada, indien.
Be aware of official place name changes:
Fort Frontenac, Cataraqui or Cataracoui = Kingston.
Ville-Marie = Montreal.
Bytown = Ottawa.
Note that artists often anglicized Quebec place names:
Île-aux-Grues becomes Crane Island.
Pointe-Lévis becomes Point Levi.
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu becomes St. John's.
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| How to Interpret the Results
Your search results will be posted
as a results summary list from which you will be able to obtain more detailed
descriptions.
Results Summary List
The results summary list, sorted by column, contains information that will allow you to
rapidly assess how relevant the documents are that you have found. Please note that
information within square brackets generally reflects the National Archives' hypotheses
from clues found within the work of art. Each page of the list provides 20 references,
which is a default value that you can change. You can export the results to a diskette or
to your own computer.
The first column is linked to the detailed description (see below). Clicking on the
icon will bring you to the detailed description.
The Title column provides the work's title; sometimes it is abbreviated.
The complete title appears in the detailed description.
The Date column provides the work's exact or approximate date.
The Restrictions on access column provides information on access of
rights to the work, if applicable.
The Copyright column provides general information on holders of
copyright. Follow the Restrictions link for more information.
A check-mark under the Available On-line column indicates that a
digitized copy of the image is included in the detailed description.
Detailed Description
From the results summary list, you may consult one detailed description at a time.
Slightly more than 5,000 images will contain a thumb-size image that can be expanded by
clicking on the small icon under the image.
The detailed description includes all or some of the sections described below. If the
information seems insufficient or unclear, for example, because of misspelling or errors,
you should contact the reference services of the National Archives for more information.
- Title:
- This is the complete title of the work as entered in the database, which generally is
the title appearing on the work itself. More specific information is sometimes found in
brackets. A title within square brackets indicates that the title has been determined or
created from clues found within the work itself.
- Date:
- Date of the work itself.
- Creator:
- Artist's name, dates of birth and death.
- Reproduction number:
- This is the copy negative number that is used to order a work of art reproduction.
Generally, these negatives are black and white, but if the phrase colour transparency
available or transparent couleur appears, a colour reproduction may be ordered.
Follow the Obtain
copies of records link.
- Accession number:
- An administrative control number assigned to a collection of documents acquired by the
National Archives. This number may be used to start a new search only on documents that
arrived at the National Archives at the same time, with the same provenance.
- Additional Information:
- This is information extracted from various fields that may contain data within the
database. This data can be diverse: publication title, series, where published;
archivists' hypotheses on the artist's probable identity, copyist's name, engraver,
printer, or publisher (if applicable), physical specifications of the document: medium,
platform and size, etc. This data is offered for information purposes only and must not be
considered as having an absolute or definitive validity.
- Restrictions:
- Information on any access and reproduction restrictions. Certain works cannot be copied;
follow the Obtain
copies of records link for more information.
- Credit:
- Obligatory mention of provenance for use of images already in the public domain or under
Crown rights.
- Subject Headings:
- Refers to the art card catalogue, where a card with the image and caption may be found
if a consultation copy has been produced. The catalogue can be consulted in the Reference
Room of the National Archives in Ottawa. Follow the Plan a Visit
link for more information.
- Source:
- The provenance database. The number that follows is the unique database ISN registration
number, applicable to one document.
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| How to Consult a Record or Order a Copy
There are almost 5,000 digitized
images available on-line, and this number will increase. Some conditions
govern the utilization of digital.
Consulting original documents may not be possible for conservation reasons. Where
possible, consultation is done at the National Archives in Ottawa, by appointment.
For more information about the reproduction and consultation services offered by the
National Archives of Canada, please follow the Obtain copies
and Consult
records links.
Reproduction of archival material is subject to the Copyright legislation and its
regulations. This is a highly complex area for both archives and researchers and has a
profound effect on the way that the National Archives delivers its services to researchers
for protected material.
Copyright can be owned or held by an individual or a group of individuals, a
corporation, the Crown, or the public. The terms of protection can vary subject to the
author, the nature and the disposition of the material in question, and other
considerations. The National Archives of Canada holds a variety of material for which the
ownership of copyright may be uncertain due to the mixture of public and private material,
or published and unpublished works. One of the major difficulties for both archives and
researchers is in identifying and locating the copyright owners.
It is recommended that researchers consult the Copyright Act and seek legal
advice where questions regarding the interpretation of copyright arise. You may consult
the Copyright Act on-line at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-42/index.html
It is not the role of
the National Archives of Canada to interpret the Copyright Act for researchers,
and researchers must accept responsibility for determining any copyright obligations.
Researchers should allow adequate lead time for researching ownership and obtaining
permission, as required.
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