Inspiration and Arrangement.
The library – a place of research for 125 years

„The scholar who comes to Italy must have at hand a specialized library and a collection of images in the country itself which he may consult at any moment [...] for his historical and comparative studies.“

Max Georg Zimmermann, 1861-1919, 1893

 

 

Album of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz,
 Decision to found an art history institute in Florence, November 25-27

„Such an institute, first and foremost, must be equipped with: 1) An art historical library as comprehensive as possible, as well as a large collection of images (to allow for comparative studies) brought together and arranged in appropriate workrooms and made accessible for use.“

Album of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, entry on the day of the „provisional“ opening, 16 November 1897

„The main value of the library consists not in the quantity of what is available – since this is still modest - but in the fact that it is a systematically arranged HANDBIBLIOTHEK, which makes it easy to use – and therein lies its success: without having to order in advance, any user can take a book from the shelf, and in doing so he will often find, alongside the book he was looking for, other books on the same subject which may have been unfamiliar to him until now.“

Heinrich Brockhaus, Director 1897-1912, 1905

Location of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in the private apartment of Heinrich Brockhaus, director 1897-1912,
Viale Principessa Margherita 19/21, photograph from 1897/1902 

„The cornerstone of the Institute is a collection of books so comprehensive and wide-ranging, the likes of which has rarely been at the disposal of scholars and art lovers until now.“

Hans Freiherr von der Gabelentz-Linsingen, Director 1912-1921, 1920

Palazzo Guadagni, 1963

Palazzo Incontri Rosselli

 

Heinrich Brockhaus, director 1897-1912, Inventory book entries 27-31 December 1898

Inventory 2022 in the library system Aleph

First systematic order from 1897 to 1912

„The arrangement has been done in such a way that in its entirety it represents, so to say, a living subject catalogue, the use of which is made easier through large headings above the bookcases and through movable guide cards on the individual shelves.“

Heinrich Bodmer, Director 1922-1932, 1924

„A card catalogue with bibliographically accurate records of the titles, which should form the basis of any library work, is altogether missing.“

Christian Hülsen, 1858-1935, 1912

 

„I declared [...] from the beginning that I [...] regarded the new cataloguing as a clearly defined scientific task to be completed in a certain period of time.“

Christian Hülsen, 1858-1935, 1912

Otto Wenzel, Custodian and Librarian 1902-1915, and Walter Biehl, Assistant 1912/1915, while cataloguing

„[In my opinion] a good catalogue is as important for the library as new bookshelves.“

Christian Hülsen, 1858-1935, 1912

Handwritten card catalogue in Palazzo Guadagni on 8 January 1964,
shortly before the move to Palazzo Incontri

„“[...] The structure of the new premises [in Palazzo Incontri] is therefore already discernible and one can confidently say that [the] aim of this profound change in the history of the Institute will have been achieved: namely, expanding the study collections and increasing the number of workplaces while preserving the traditions that have now existed for more than half a century.“

Ulrich Middeldorf, Director 1953-1968, 1962

Palazzo Guadagni, floor plan, drawing by Christian Hülsen, 1858-1935, 1912

Palazzo Incontri, 1969

Palazzo Incontri-Rosselli, 2022

„The centre of the library is the large working and study room, which can also be used as a lecture room, and in which the artists’ books and the important section on the topography and history of Florence could be housed.“

Heinrich Bodmer, Director 1922-1932, 1927

 

Palazzo Guadagni, reading room, 1932-1933

„Via Giusti offriva altre forme, molto belle, e la mia nuova ricerca delle ragioni anche loro, scopriva negli scaffali tesori addormentati.“

Carlo Del Bravo, 1935-2017, 1997

Palazzo Incontri, large reading room, 1964 and today

 

Palazzo Guadagni, periodicals section, 1963

„It is remarkable that we are allowed to use [the holdings of the Library] so freely. Unlike the majority of research libraries here and abroad, the [Kunsthistorisches] Institute has open stacks. This affords us the privilege of immediate and unlimited access to its collections. We all benefit from the easy availability of its thousands of books and catalogues that we may take from its shelves. The invitation to browse is irresistible, and to speak for myself, has led to many fortuitous discoveries.“

Diane Cole Ahl, 1997

 

Palazzo Guadagni, 1963-1964

„The view towards the future, in turn, is focused on the positioning of the library [of the Kunsthistorisches Institut] within a technology-driven, exponentially growing global network of knowledge and information with its inherent data-based communication.“

Research Report of the Kunsthistorisches Institut for the years 2019 until 2021

„The [Kunsthistorisches] Institute is not just one of the best art history libraries in the world […] but it is also a place for colleagues to meet, exchange ideas, and help one another in the deepest spirit of inquiry and friendship.“

Harriet McNeal Caplow, 1997

 

Photo Guido Guidi ©