To begin searching, use the five general categories on the left hand side of the screen, or enter a BPI number.
For each category, clicking a term (or selecting a range of dates) will show results with thumbnails in the 'Matching Results' frame. Click a result to view the detailed record in this part of the screen.
It is also possible to conduct more complex searches by combining search terms. To do this, click 'hold' once you have made a selection; this adds the term as a filter and allows you to select (and 'hold') additional terms to further refine your search. 'Held' terms are listed in the top of the Search Frame; to remove a 'held' term, click the corresponding 'close' link.
The search options are as follows:
- Producer. Producer includes all those involved in the production process of a print, including those responsible for its publication as well as its execution. For a search of producers as a whole, an alphabetical list is available. This can be delimited by using the drop down menu to (say) publishers, engravers (to avoid confusion, here the term 'print made by' is used to cover all types of graphic artists) or artists and designers (here referred to in the form 'after'). Dates of birth and death (where known) are provided as an aid to identification.
- Persons Shown is essentially an index of 'sitters' in portraits, but we have deliberately given it a broader title to include others who may be depicted in or associated with the print.
- Subject. This contains a hierarchy of subject thesaurus terms which can be navigated (using the '+'/'-' icons to open or close levels of the hierarchy), or searched, by entering a term in the box and clicking 'Go'.
- Places may be searched for as part of the subject index, where they are arranged hierarchically.
- Date. Prints from a specific period or date can be selected by sliding the markers to select the earliest and latest dates required.
- Technique. The required printmaking technique can be selected from a list.