Archives and Special Collections Subject Guide: Art

The collection of 177 posters donated to the Archives following the “Exhibition on Art Posters in Lebanon” organized by AUB Art Center at AUB, in March 2001. Although the posters announce, mainly, individual painting and sculpture exhibitions, the collection includes group and theme art exhibits, plays and musical recitals, movies, conferences and environmental awareness posters. (Art, Posters, Middle East)
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The Arab Cinema Photograph Collection is comprised of 1,366 photographs. These photographs represent films produced between 1942 and 2008, with the bulk between 1970s and 2000s for Egypt, 1960s for Lebanon, and 1970s for Syria. The collection is relevant to researchers interested in the history of Arab cinema as well as the history of photography in Arabic films during the 20th century. (Motion pictures, Arab countries, Cinema)
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A distinguished scholar, educator, literary critic, and AUB professor, Muhammad Yusuf Najm (1925-2009.) worked hard to promote the social and cultural significance of the Arabic novel, theater, and poetry for Arab societies. The collection contains some correspondence with Arab authors and scholars, as well as a few manuscripts of early unpublished Arabic and Egyptian plays. (Arab Literature, Arab Drama)
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The Arab Cinema Photograph Collection is comprised of 1,366 photographs. These photographs represent films produced between 1942 and 2008, with the bulk between 1970s and 2000s for Egypt, 1960s for Lebanon, and 1970s for Syria. The collection is relevant to researchers interested in the history of Arab cinema as well as the history of photography in Arabic films during the 20th century. (Motion pictures, Arab countries, Cinema)

Dar al-Fata al-Arabi (Arab Children Publishing house) was founded in Beirut in 1974, an institution for writing, printing, and publishing books for children and young people. The house has issued more than 220 titles in 25 different series, The collection is relevant to researchers interested in the Palestine Question, Liberal arts education, children’s literature, and Palestinian Culture.

Jamil Hamoudi was an Iraqi artist, art critic, (1924 - 2003) and a leading figure in Iraq’s modern art movement. Hamoudi was a pioneer in using Arabic calligraphy in art, a founding member of the al Hurufiyah movement, a founding editor of several art magazines, and the owner of several art galleries in Paris, London and Baghdad. The collection, 20 linear feet, is a rare record of the cultural exchange between the Arab World and the West, 1940s -1980s. (Arab Art, Iraqi Art, Exhibitions, Hurufiyyah, Calligraphy)
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Lebanese American Etel Adnan was an author, poet, abstract painter & visual artist. Her collection of journals, calendars, manuscripts, and correspondence spans decades (1980s-2010) and continents (US, Europe, Africa, Asia). (Artists, Lebanon)
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This collection documents the history of the Department of Fine Arts and Art History (FAAH) at AUB, first academic art department in Lebanon, since its inception in 1952. The collection includes correspondence, annual and administrative reports, syllabi, exhibitions’ related material, photographs, scrapbooks, invitations cards, etc. as well as other documents related to the work of the prominent artists that were among its founding faculty members like Maryette Charlton, George Buehr, Arthur Frick etc. (AUB History, Art History, Art Education Visual Culture)

Nasri Khattar (1910-1998) was an AUB Alumnus (BBA 1930) and a Lebanese architect-typographer. The collection, 13 linear feet, includes Nasri Khattar’s academic and scholarly work, and a life’s work in engineering and architecture; it also includes his pioneering designs, most notably of which was his ambitious initiative to design a Unified Arabic Font. Also, included in the collection is his correspondence with Remington Rand Inc., IBM, Aramco and other business associates. This collection is an invaluable source of information for scholars interested in architecture, anthropology, design, education, typography, and visual culture. (Unified Arabic Alphabet, Arabic type, Typographers, Fonts, Architecture.
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Lutfi Lutfi is a Syrian scholar in the history of architecture, film and television director, and light artist. This small collection consists of 10 posters on Syrian cities and towns, khans, coins, architecture, social life and costumes of Bilad Al-Sham of Lutfi's documentary films (Syria, Architecture, Antiquities)
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The political posters collection gathered from the walls of AUB Campus covers two main topics: The Palestinian Question in addition to Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War. These posters were collected between 1960 and the 1980s. They reflect activities, vision and mission of the different Right and Left Lebanese and Palestinian Parties that were active on the Lebanese territory during these twenty years. (Political Science, History, Posters, Middle East)
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This collection contains 80 copies of Najib Hawawini Calligraphy in Arabic language, in addition to calligraphy by other scribes, a post card, and two business cards of Najib Hawawini. Also available in this collection a book about Royal Diwani font type الملكي الديواني الخط.
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Hagop Kazazian’s personal collection of multilingual exhibition posters covers several topics including art, music, paintings, and architecture based in Lebanon between 1977 and 2014.
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Milton Glaser (b.1929-) is a renowned American creative graphic designer. Winner of Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum lifetime achievement award (2004), and the National Medal of the Arts award (2009), and the Fulbright Association (2011) . He was the designer of the famous (I ♥ NY) logo which boosted the international recognition he earned. His designed posters on politics in America, as well as arts and musical events. (Graphic design, Art, Media studies)
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Named after the collector, the Blatchford collection is an important set of around eight hundred photographs covering various regions and countries (Europe, Levant and North Africa), ca. 1880 to 1900. The collection features samples from various important photographers in the Middle East, and depicts landscapes, archeological sites, buildings and architectural details also presents cities, towns, villages, streets and houses; as well as scenes of daily life like sellers, water carriers, and scenes of economic production such as wheat, sugar canes, pottery, etc. (History of Photography, Visual Culture, archaeology, anthropology, cultural studies)
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The Animal Locomotion study contains 781 photographs of males and females performing common actions, often nude; physically deformed males and females from the Philadelphia Hospital and a variety of animal species from the Philadelphia Zoo. The Eadweard Muybridge Collection documents Muybridge photographic career and the contributions he made to motion pictures. This collection is of great interest to artists, anatomists, physiologists, photographers, and athletes. (Human locomotion, Animal locomotion, History of photography)
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Isa Iskandar al Maʻluf, (1869–1956) was a Lebanese journalist, scholar, historian and a member of the Arab Nahda. The collection contains around 900 photographs related to Isa’s family, his relatives, and acquaintances in Lebanon and diaspora mainly Latin America. The collection originates from early Lebanese studios like Assad Dakouny; Fakhoury; Photo Khatchadour; Assad K. Murhij and Khalil Chahine Malouf etc. (History of Photography Lebanon, Visual Culture, Lebanese Diaspora, Social life and customs Lebanon)
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The photographic collection of Franklin Moore, physician and professor of obstetrics (1891-1915) at the Syrian Protestant College, constitutes a historical record of great importance to Lebanon and the American University of Beirut at the turn of the 20th century. The bulk of the images are of the AUB campus, faculty and students; the remaining are images of sites in Lebanon: Baalbeck, the Cedars, and Nahr Ibrahim, as well as some parts of Syria, including Maʻlūlā and Palmyra. (AUB History, History of Photography, Visual Culture
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Waddah Faris is an Iraqi designer and art critic, born in Aleppo 1940.. His collection includes brochures and catalogs collected from various galleries and publishers in Lebanon, Iraq and Europe. It also Includes 15 posters some of them issued by the Friends of Jerusalem and 143 black and white photographs for Lebanese and Iraqi cultural personalities. (Modern Art, Photography, Exhibitions)
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Walid Ghulmiyah (1938-2011), a Lebanese musician, composer, conductor, publisher and educator who played an important leading role in advancing music and art education in Lebanon and the region. The collection of around 20.5 linear feet chiefly consists of music sheets and press clippings covering Dr. Ghulmiyah’s professional life between 1962 and 2011. The music sheets include the composer’s six symphonies as well as his contributions to various forms of the performing arts: films, festival productions, plays and shows. (Music, Education, Culture)
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A Lebanese music composer and singer (1916-2004). He was influential among the first generation of composers for the mass audience for music on radio in Lebanon in the 1940s and 1950s, and continued to be a force in Lebanese music until his death in 2004. The archival collection is around 55 linear feet of lyrics, music, photographs, music scores and awards. Available also : The March to Excellence in Music of Zaki Nassif
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Salvador Arnita, (1915-1985), a Palestinian composer and organist who worked at AUB, 1949-1980, as Professor of Music and was a pillar of the Beirut musical scene. His Collection of 2.6 linear feet includes musical notes and partitions which he used in his teaching and concerts, and most importantly are his own musical compositions. (AUIB Faculty, Musicians, Oriental Music
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Pierre H. Azoury (1930-2014), AUB Professor of mechanical engineering, was best known for his music as a composer, pianist and educator. The collection consists of personal documents, awards, correspondence, courses, photos, postcards and posters as well as music sheets, cassette tapes and recordings of Azoury’s various symphonies. (Composer and Musician, Pianist, Mechanical Engineering).