Intellectual Control of Visual Archives: A Comparison Between the Art and Architecture Thesaurus and the Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

The following investigation is a comparison between the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) and the LC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials (LCTGM), two popular sources for providing subject access to visual archives. The analysis begins with a discussion on the nature of visual archives and the employment of archival control theory to graphic materials. The major difference observed is that the AAT is a faceted structure geared towards a specialized audience of art and architecture researchers, while LCTGM is similar to LCSH in structure and aims to service the wide-spread archival community. The conclusion recognizes the need to understand the differences between subject thesauri and subject heading lists, and the pressing need to investigate and understand intellectual control of visual archives in today's automated environment.