Poster for Art of Life NEH-funded Project presented at TDWG, Beijing, China, Oct. 2012

1. The Art of Life schema: describing and providing access to natural history
illustrations from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL)
by William Ulate, Trish Rose-Sandler, Gaurav Vaidya, Robert Guralnick
Example of illustration described using Art of Life schema
Title Stictospiza formosa
Type Illustrations
Date Publication: 1898
Agent Author: Arthur G. Butler (1844-1925)
Illustrator: F.W. Frohawk (1861-1946)
Description A pair of finches with green and yellow bodies resting on reeds
Subjects Scientific name: Amandava formosa (Latham, 1790)
Vernacular Name: Green Avadavat or Green Munia
Accepted Name: Amandava formosa (Latham, 1790)
Birds, finches
Inscriptions bottom center: Green Amaduvade Waxbill (Stictospiza formosa)
Source
Butler, Arthur Gardiner. Foreign finches in captivity. Hull and London: Brumby and Clarke, limited,1889
(2nd edition). This image comes from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, and is available online at
biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17195895
Rights Public domain
Art of Life schema elements required in Red
Element Definition Examples Repeat
Agents person or corporate entity involved in the creation, <vra:agent> Y
design, production, or publication of a visual <vra:name type="personal" vocab="LCNAF" refid="89015596> Curtis,John</vra:name>
resource. <vra:dates type="life">
<vra:earliestDate>1791</vra:earliestDate>
<vra:latestDate>1862</vra:latestDate>
</vra:dates>
<vra:role vocab="AAT" refid="300025574">publisher</vra:role>
</vra:agent>
Copyright The copyright status of the visual resource. <vra:rights refid=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en”>Creative N
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)
</vra:rights>
Date Date or range of dates associated with the <vra:date type="creation"> Y
creation or publication of the visual resource. <vra:earliestDate>1945</vra:earliestDate>
<vra:latestDate>1955</vra:latestDate>
</vra:date>
Description A free-text note about content of the image, <vra:description>This illustration shows a scale, coloured illustration of Sepsis Y
including comments, description, or annulipes (now known as Encita annulipes) beside the Trifolium ochroleucum plant.
interpretation, that gives additional information Several dissections from Sepsis cylindrica Fab. (all these details are provided on the
not recorded in other categories. next page of this book and the subsequent page).</vra:description>
Inscriptions All marks, caption, or written words added to the <vra:inscription> Y
object at the time of production or in its <vra:position>bottom</vra:position>
subsequent history, including signatures, dates, <vra:text>Radula of L. souleyetianum on a more reduced scale</vra:text>
dedications, texts, and colophons, as well as </vra:inscription>
marks, such as the stamps of silversmiths,
publishers, or printers.
Source A citation for the book, journal or resource that <vra:source><vra:name type=”book”>Butler, Arthur Gardiner. Foreign finches in N
hosts the visual resource captivity. HullBrumby and Clarke, limited,1889 (2nd edition). </vra:name>
<vra:refid type=”URI”>http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/17195895</vra:refid>
</vra:source>
Subject Terms or phrases that describe, identify, or <vra:subject><vra:term type=”personalName”>Carl Y
interpret the visual resource. Linnaeus</vra:term></vra:subject>
<dwc:scientificName>Plant: Picea abies</dwc:scientificName>
<dwc:acceptedName>Plant: Picea abies</dwc:acceptedName>
<dwc:vernacularName>Plant: Norway spruce<dwc:vernacularName>
Title The title or identifying phrase given to an Image <vra:title xml:lang=”la”>Sepsis annulipes</vra:title> Y
<vra:title type=“alternate”>Orangutan</vra:title>
Type Identifies a general category for the visual <vra:type>maps</vra:type> Y
resource <vra:type>forestry maps</vra:type>
We welcome your feedback on the schema! http://tinyurl.com/9hm7nsb