Aalto University Archives

Digital archive collections

Explore the digital collections and services of the archives. Archive materials related to theses and student works as well as historic documents and photographs are continuously digitised and made available in Finna and other digital services.

Aalto-yliopiston arkiston Finna-näkymän etusivu

Browse the digital collections

Visual materials related to theses, student works and historic photographs related to the activities of Aalto University and its predecessors are digitised and catalogued into Finna. Use permissions are displayed alongside each image, some are available with a Creative Commons license and some are subject to permission. In some cases only descritive metadata is available in Finna due to copyright issues.

A limited amount of digital archive materials are available in Finna, the archive holds collections that are not yet made digitally available.

Annual reports and digitised dissertations of the University are available in Aaltodoc.

3D models of the ceramics and glass object collections are available in Sketchfab.

Aalto University Archives on Flickr Commons brings together a selection of historic image collections available for free use.

To request for high-resolution images or if you can't find what you are looking for please contact: [email protected] (archive research services, high-resolution images, digitisation, publication or exhibition enquiries)

Screenshot of and archive 3D model object — 3D models of the ceramics and glass object collections are available in Sketchfab.

Archive image from a lithography class — Lithography class, an Image from arhive collection in Flickr Commons

Vuosikertomus 1932-1933 — Annual reports are available in Aaltodoc publication archive

Museum collection at archives — Digitised image and object collections are available in Finna

Digital archive collections

University of Art and Design

Photo collection of the University of Art and Design documenting the activities, people, locations and premises of the University and its predecessors, including images of student works, exhibitions, events, excursions and events.

Date range: 1880-2009
Extent: 3000
Content: b/w prints, colour prints
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY 4.0, Public Domain, and some usable subject to permission

Business

Photo collection of the Helsinki School of Economics documenting the activities, people, locations and premises of the business school.

Date range: 1940-1990
Extent: 1000
Content: b/w prints, colour prints
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY 4.0.

Technology

Photo collection of the University of Technology documenting the activities, people, locations and premises of the University and its predecessors.

Date range: 1850-
Extent: 3000
Content: b/w prints, colour prints
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY 4.0, Public Domain, and some usable subject to permission

Architecture measurement drawings Aalto University’s and its predecessor University of Technology’s architecture teaching has for over hundred years included the tradition of measurement drawing. From 1907 to 2014 it was compulsory to prepare a measurement drawing of a significant old building as part of an architect’s education. In early decades of 1900 drawings were made of medieval churches, later there has been concentration on wooden architecture.	Date range: 1868 – 2016 Extent: 5000 digitized drawings Content: Ink and pencil drawings, some water colours Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0, Public Domain
Descriptive geometry and perspective studies Course exercises and competition works in in descriptive geometry which was studied by nearly all technology students until 1960s. Students of land survey and architects also took classes in perspective drawing. The collection has been used in teaching until mid 1960s	Date range: 1930-1960 Extent: Approx. 1000, 60 samples available digitally Content: Ink drawings, water colours Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Ceramics and glass art The collection consists of exercises and diploma works prepared in the teaching of ceramics and glass. The collection has been used as a pedagogical archive documenting the development of teaching in the field including teaching materials, techniques and firing temperatures, glazing experiments and decoration methods. Approx. 5% of the objects have been prepared by students of of glass design.	Date range: 1963 - Extent: Approx. 3500 objects, 800 available digitally Content: Ceramic and glass objects Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Industrial design The collection contains student works from the industrial design programme including prototypes, models and drawings of technical appliances, utensils and vehicles. The collection also includes images from exhibitions, excursions, teaching spaces and studying.	Date range: 1960-1990 Extent: Approx. 2700 Content: Colour slides Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Industrial textile design and textile art Course work and exercises in industrial textile design, such as knitted fabrics, pattern designs for clothing and interior fabrics, designs for printed textiles and material experiments.	Date range: 1970-2004 Extent: Approx. 200 works, 10 samples available digitally Content: Printed, knitted and woven textiles and textile sketches Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Composition drawings Student works from composition drawing class include ornament and decorative designs, interiors and furniture, textiles and clothing design, typography and illustrations. The collections include also drawings of museum objects and competition entries from various drawing competitions where students participated.	Date range: 1906-1970 Extent: approx. 2000 images Content: hand-drawn drawings, pencil, ink, watercolour Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Building technlogy Exercises in building technology from the department of architecture. Consists of images of small scale models, group work and students working methods.	Date range: 1990-2000 Extent: approx. 2000 works Content: digitised colour slides Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0
Costume and fashion design Costumes designed and made by students, many being competitions entries for international competitions (Concours International des Jeunes Créateurs de Mode 1989-1991, IWS 1985, Igedo 1992, St. Gallen 1981-1982) and course exercises or diploma projects.	Date range: 1970-2010 Extent: approx. 50 costumes Content: Costumes Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Photography art The collection of course work and final projects contains an extensive collection of student works in photography. The collection provides a rich overview to research of the teaching, techniques and practices of photography. The collection also contains a limited amount of photography course work from the department of Art Education.	Date range: 1970-1990 Extent: (10 000) 1100 available digitally Content: b/w prints, colour prints, polaroids, negatives, slide positives Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses of student works subject to permission.
Urban planning The collection contains student and diploma works, and reproduced images such as maps and original photographs of residential areas and city scapes used in teaching.	Date range: 1960-1980 Extent: (38 000), 2000 available digitally Content: slide positives Permissions: Subject to permission

Architecture Images of the history of architecture arranged in themes from ancient to urban architecture, from castels to interiors and different architectural styles and collections by architect. The collection contains reproduced images, original photographs and ready-made teaching materials from Finland and abroad.	Date range: approx. 1880-2000 Extent: 45 000 Content: digitised slide positives Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0, some subject to permission
Architecture catalogue The image collection of the Department of Architecture contains a card catalogue of photographs and prints arranged by architect name. The images were held in a wooden filing cabinet, numbered 1-5, (Aa-VÖ).	Date range: approx. 1930-1940 Extent: 2400 Content: photographs, prints Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY 4.0
Art and design Images used in arts teaching at the University of Art and Design containing a variety of topics of cultural and art history.	Extent: 1000 Content: digitised slide positives Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0, some subject to permission
Building technology Images used in teaching, student works and projects, excursions and inventories.	Date range: 1950-2000 Extent: (20 000), 6000 available digitally Content: digitised slide positives Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0
Kaj Franck, lecture slides in composition and style theory Kaj Franck taught composition drawing and style theory from 1945 at the School of Industrial Arts. Franck collected and thematically arranged this slide collection that has been used in the teaching of the course. The collection includes images from a variety of sources: School's own image materials, photographs taken by Franck, press and advertising materials from other sources.	Date range: 1940-1970 Extent: 1600 Content: digitised slide positives Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC 4.0

Ahrenberg, Johan Jacob "Jac"

Architect, painter Johan Jacob "Jac" Ahrenberg (b. 1847 Vyborg – d. 1914 Helsinki) collection contains drawings, paintings, photographs and prints from two of his sketchbooks. Ahrenberg was a teacher of drawing and art history at the Polytechnic institute (later University of Technology).

Date range: late 1800 - early 1900
Extent: 50
Content: watercolours, drawings
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: Public Domain

Friedl, Johann

Josef Johann Emerich Friedl (b.1863 – d. 1937) was an Austrian sculptor and teacher of sculpture at the Central School of Arts and Crafts 1890-1937. The collection contains his sketchbooks and drawings.

Date range: late 1800 - early 1900
Extent: 34
Content: watercolours, drawings
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY, Public Domain

Hortling, Airi

Airi Hortling, Licentiate of Arts (b. 1943 - ) was employed as the teacher of ceramics and glass art, lecturer of material science, assistant professor and department director. The collection consists of images of her ceramic works, glazing experiments, research and teaching.

Date range: 1960-2000
Extent: approx. 80
Content:digital images
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC

Kosonen, Markku

Markku Kosonen (b. 1945 – d. 2010) was a Finnish interior architect, carpenter and designer. He was a teacher at the Art and Design Institute 1968-1978. The collection consists of exhibtion documentation, publications, photographs, audio recordings.

Date range: approx. 1970s
Extent: 6 sample images in Finna
Content: photographs, prints, audio tapes
Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses subject to permission.

Moilanen, Harry

Harry Moilanen (1931 – 1991) was an interior architect who worked also worked as a designer of glass for Nuutajärvi and enamel objects for Kone and Silta. He worked as interior architect in the offices of Antti Nurmesniemi and Aarno Ruusuvuori and designed many public buildings. He taught at the University of Art and Design 1960-1991 continuing the SVYP foundation course established by Kaj Franck.

Date range: approx. 1970s
Extent: 140 sample images of SVYP-project at Eno
Content: photographs, prints, audio tapes
Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses subject to permission.

Nummi, Yki

Yki Nummi (1925 – 1984) was a colourist, designer of lamps and plastic objects. The collections include sketches on lighting and lamps, drawings, colour plans, book illustrations, wallpaper designs.

Date range: 1940-1950
Extent: 50 sample images in Finna
Content: pencil, ink drawings, watercolours
Permissions: Non-commercial use in learning and research permissible, other uses subject to permission.

Nyström, Gustaf

Carl Gustaf Nyström (1856 – 1917) principal and professor of architecture at University of Technology. The collection includes architectural drawings and sketches, measurements, notes, postcards, photographs.

Date range: 1880-1910
Extent: approx. 300
Content: pencil, ink drawings, watercolours
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: Public Domain

Salmenhaara, Kyllikki

Kyllikki Salmenhaara (1915-1981) was a professor at the University of Art and Design and ceramic artist. The collection consists of four parts: private archive, image collection, teaching materials and ceramics collection. The image collection contains objects, working methods, portraits and travel photography from late 1960s to start of 1980s.

Date range: 1950-1980
Extent: approx. 1600
Content: digitised slide positives
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisences: CC-BY-NC

The University annual reports

The annual reports of Aalto University's predecessors have been made available digitally in Aaltodoc publication archive, they can be browsed by organisation:

University of Technology

Helsinki School of Economics

University of Art and Design

Date range: 1885-2004

Date range: 1950-2004

Date range: 1890-1985

Finnish Society of Arts and Crafts

Annual reports of Taideteollisuusyhdistys, the Finnish Society of Arts and Crafts are available in the Aaltodoc publication archive:

Finnish Society of Arts and Crafts

Date range: 1905-1915, 1960-1984

Museum object collection

Teaching and research instruments used mainly at the University of Technology from laboratories of physics, paper and cellulose technology, geology and geophysics as well as measurement instruments used in geological survey, construction and machine engineering.

Date range: 1900-1980
Extent: 700 objects
Content: Teaching and research instruments
Permissions: Usable with Creative Commons-lisence CC-BY

Published: 13.11.2019
Updated: 9.5.2022

Digital archive collections

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Digital archive collections

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