Art, Architecture, Craft and Design

• Look up artists, art movements and other art topics in reference books online. There are three collections: Credo Reference, Oxford Reference Online and Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Find detailed biographical information about artists who made an impact on Britain and who are no longer living, in the Oxford dictionary of national biography
• View colour images of thousands of works of art' in the Bridgeman library art archive', which is part of Credo Reference. At the Credo Reference home page click 'Browse topics', click 'Art', click 'The Bridgeman library art archive', then follow subject links
• For many useful art, architecture, craft and design web sites see the Gateway to the Internet
• Search magazines and journals online - including 'Apollo', 'Design week' and 'Interior design'
• Find articles, images and web links in Encyclopaedia Britannica online -
• Read news and reviews of art exhibitions in newspapers online. You can search daily and Sunday newspapers from July 1985 onwards, in the InfoTrac Custom Newspapers Database. For historical information there is also the 'Times Digital Archive' covering 1785 -1985
• For local arts information search You and Your Community (YoYo)
• You can consult many standard reference books on art, architecture, craft and design in the large collection at Bedford Central Library. Dunstable Library has several standard works and other libraries have at least an encyclopaedia or dictionary of art and artists
• Search for books on artists and subjects in the library catalogue
• If you need help to find information, contact us
   

Special topics

Architecture

Antiques

Crafts, including embroidery

Finding out about a  painting

Gordon Fraser Collection

Taking up drawing? Find inspiration online