1. An image database apparatus comprising: an extraction device for extracting representative image data, which represents representative images of a plurality of frames, from an image database in which image data of a number of frames has been stored; a first display control device for controlling a display device in such a manner that the representative images of the plurality of frames represented by the representative image data extracted by said extraction device are displayed in a coordinate area in a form in which they are distributed in accordance with characteristics of each of the representative images; a designating device for designating a desired image from among the images of the plurality of frames distributed in the coordinate area based upon display control performed by said first display control device; a search device for searching the image database for images having characteristics that resemble the characteristics of the image designated by said designating device; and a second display control device for controlling the display device in such a manner that retrieved images, which result from the search performed by said search device, are displayed in the coordinate area in conformity with the characteristics thereof.