Named after the small red sticker that once guided scholars through legacy 35mm slides, The Red Dot is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of visual and material research. While rooted in the University of California, Santa Barbara community, our posts are open to all.
At MIRL, we engage with art history, digital humanities, and material culture through hands-on research and archival projects. Guided by our core principles—critical engagement with visual and material culture, ethical stewardship of images and data, and innovative approaches to research and pedagogy—we work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. We are especially interested in how digital tools can expand the study of images, objects, and spaces.
Here, we’ll share insights on Digital Art History and Architectural History, highlight new image and data resources, discuss copyright and ethical considerations, and spotlight events that shape our field.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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NY Public Libraries Digital Collections
The NY Public Libraries Digital Gallery has expanded and now includes a vast array (more than 30,000 images) of maps, early advertisements and photographs, posters, scientific illustrations, and much more. This link goes to the main NYPL Picture Collection page. Read more
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Newly added ARTstor images
ARTstor just announced new images added to the following collections: Carnegie Institution of Washington Photographs of Mayan Excavations [Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University] (final release completed, with a collection of now 44,300 images, learn more) University of Michigan Asian Art Photographic Distribution [AAPD] (first release of 4,700 of 9,600 total, learn more)… Read more
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Recent additions to the VRC image database
Here are some recent image orders that have been added to the VRC image database – we will be posting periodic updates of new content: Russian posters and painting, 1920-2000 (Stalinism, propaganda, realism, recent conceptual art, etc.) (90 images) Selections from “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution” (catalogue) (110 images) The architecture of Frank Lloyd… Read more
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Digital Preservation and Nuclear Disaster
In case you have any questions about the benefits of metadata and proper digital preservation, watch this short YouTube video (Brought to you by your friendly digital preservationists at the VRC) Read more
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News Flash: Gauguin cut off Van Gogh’s ear
You heard it here first – Paul Gauguin cut off Van Gogh’s ear with a sword during an argument but they kept a “pact of silence”. via The Daily Telegraph Read more