Access and Use
Rights Restrictions
There are no known restrictions on the use of photographs in the Balthazar Korab Collection. However privacy rights may apply, especially for photographs of residences. There are potential restrictions for the manuscript materials and a small number of photographs in this collection that retained rights protection by special arrangement with Mr. Korab or may have been created by third parties and not by Mr. Korab or his employees. Please visit the Balthazar Korab Collection Rights Statement on the Prints and Photographs Reading Room website.
For more general rights information, please read: Copyright and Other Restrictions That Apply to Publication/Distribution of Images: Assessing the Risk of Using a P&P Image
Access Restrictions
The Balthazar Korab Collection is open for research. Advance notice is needed to view materials in this collection, which is stored offsite. Requests to view original collection materials may be submitted through Ask A Librarian, or by paper form in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. Some materials are already digitized. As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. Some materials may require gloves for handling.
A limited amount of material in the collection is restricted, and is marked in the finding aid as such.
Original nitrate negatives are not available for viewing. Surrogate images of all nitrate negatives are available. See the Online Image Records (Digitized Items) section for more information.
Requesting Materials
Researchers should make requests at least 10 business days in advance of an anticipated visit, by selecting folders from the Balthazar Korab Collection finding aid. All requests should be submitted through Ask A Librarian or in person in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. Requests must include the Box Number, Project Title, and Call Number for each folder. e.g. Box 117 Miller House and Garden, Interiors KORAB F1836
Because of space and resource constraints, the amount that can be requested at one time is limited: Researchers may request up to 10 folders from no more than 5 boxes per request and should allow 10 business days after the call slip is received before arriving to view the material. All requests should be submitted through Ask A Librarian or in person in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. If more material is needed for viewing in a single visit, please consult reference staff regarding the feasibility of arranging for more material to be brought onsite and the time needed to make it available. Once materials are ready, they will be placed on hold for 30 days before being returned to the off-site location. One 30-day extension is permitted.
For additional information about service in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, including obtaining copies, see "Information for Researchers."
Navigating the Finding Aid
Each entry in the finding aid gives the Project Title (including date if provided), Extent (amount and format of items), Call Number, and when appropriate Architect, Alternate Project Titles, Location, and Views (e.g. interior, exterior). When available we provide related contributor names in the Architect field. In most cases, the text on the folder from the Korab Office was used for the Project Title. Because abbreviations were used by Korab frequently, staff provided the expanded name in the Notes field, if known. For example, SOM will also include "Skidmore Owings and Merrill" and DIA will also include "Detroit Institute of Art", so that you can get the same results with either search. Additional text recorded on the folder, when legible, was transcribed in the Notes. Spelling errors have been corrected to aid searching.
In general, it may be easiest to start with a search of the principal architect's name. However, there are no single headings to cover all variations of a firm or principal architect's career. For example, you would need to search for HEPY, HED, HECS, HEA, and other iterations in addition to individuals' names, e.g. Harley or Ellington. Whichever grouping made up the firm at the time of a specific design/construction project is usually listed.
You can narrow search results by adding search terms like project name or location. If you don't get enough results, try broadening your search to a more generic location, the name of the most famous person or organization involved, or part of a Project Title. Try alternate names for famous buildings, as well as names of clients and related contributors. While landscape designers and interior designers are sometimes listed as related names, you may have to rely on a search of the primary architect to find all folders for a given project.
Projects will have significant amounts of material in more than one area of the Finding Aid. Do not stop your searching after a single hit.