FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are The Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library?
The Frick Collection is an internationally-recognized art museum located in New York City known for its distinguished Old Master paintings and outstanding examples of European sculpture and decorative arts. Adjacent to the museum is the Frick Art Reference Library, one of the leading institutions for research in the fields of art history and collecting.
To learn more about The Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library, please visit Frick.org.
What is the Photoarchive?
The Photoarchive is a study collection of about 1.2 million photographic reproductions of works of art from the fourth to the mid-twentieth century. Each reproduction is accompanied by historical documentation that traces changes of attribution, ownership, and condition in order to facilitate object-oriented research. These images, together with the historical information, provide an unparalleled resource for the study of the history of art.
To learn more about the Photoarchive, please visit the Photoarchive's webpage.
What is web accessibility and why is it important?
Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. Web accessibility is important because it ensures that all users have equal access to information and functionality of websites.
What is alt-text?
Alt-text or alternative text is a word or phrase in the HTML source code of a website that describes the visual content an image online. The text equivalent descriptions are accessed and read aloud by assistive technologies such as screen reader software. The use of alt-text for images is one of the first principles of web accessibility.
How do my descriptions help visually impaired users?
Without alternative text descriptions, online images are not accessible to users with visual impairments. Because computers cannot analyze images and determine what they represent, your descriptions help provide the text required to access images and their content online. Alternative text descriptions are read aloud to users with the aid of assistive technologies such as screen reader software.
Will I be able to see my descriptions online?
No, your descriptions will become HTML source code of the website. In the future, we may choose to make the descriptions forward facing and publicly available.
Wouldn’t longer descriptions be more helpful?
While longer descriptions might seem more helpful, the purpose of alternative text is to tell users as much as possible about an image while using as few words as possible. Alternative text descriptions should provide a concise description or functional equivalent for an image.
For longer, more detailed descriptions the HTML attribute longdesc (or long description) can be used. For this project we have chosen to collect alt-text descriptions, but we may choose to collect longer descriptions in the future.
My description is over 15 words! Can I still submit it?
Yes, a longer description will be accepted, but please try to keep your descriptions to 15 words or less. Check the field guide for more tips on writing descriptions.
I made a mistake! Can I go back and change my description?
No, but don't worry! Each image is described at least three times before it is retired and then reviewed by a Photoarchive staff member. If you think you've made a mistake, someone will correct it.
How often will new images be added to the project?
Our project is still in its beginning stages, so we don't quite know the answer to this question yet. We will know more once we figure out how quickly volunteers are able to complete entire sets, which are typically groups of 1,000 images.
Are there any other crowdsourcing projects by The Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library that I can work on?
Yes! If you wish to keep working with us (and we hope you do!), we also have a transcription project already underway at
Transcribe.frick.org. The Frick Collection Transcription Project allows volunteers to transcribe newly digitized written records from The Frick Collection's institutional archives including private letters, bill books, art purchase files, and more!
How can I contact you if I have additional questions?
The best way to reach out to us is on the Talk discussion boards.