diff --git a/nibabel/elemcont.py b/nibabel/elemcont.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a3840d411
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nibabel/elemcont.py
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+# emacs: -*- mode: python; py-indent-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
+# vi: set ft=python sts=4 ts=4 sw=4 et:
+'''Containers that provide easy access to the values of nested elements
+
+These containers are for storing "elements" which have both a core data value
+as well as some additional meta data. When indexing into these containers it is
+this core value that is returned, which allows for much cleaner and more
+readable access to nested structures.
+
+Each object stored in these containers must have an attribute `value` which
+provides the core data value for the element. To get the element object itself
+the `get_elem` method must be used.
+'''
+from collections import MutableMapping, MutableSequence
+
+from .externals import OrderedDict
+
+
+class MetaElem(object):
+    '''Basic element type has a `value` and a `meta` attribute.'''
+    def __init__(self, value, meta=None):
+        self.value = value
+        self.meta = {} if meta is None else meta
+
+
+class InvalidElemError(Exception):
+    '''The object being added to the container doesn't have a `value` attribute
+    '''
+    def __init__(self, invalid_val):
+        message = ("Provided value '%s' of type %s does not have a 'value' "
+                   "attribute" % (invalid_val, type(invalid_val)))
+        super(InvalidElemError, self).__init__(message)
+
+
+class ElemDict(MutableMapping):
+    '''Ordered dict-like providing easy access to nested elements
+
+    Each value added to the dict must in turn have a `value` attribute, which
+    is what is returned by subsequent calls to `__getitem__`. To get the
+    element itself use the `get_elem` method.
+    '''
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        if len(args) > 1:
+            raise TypeError("At most one arg expected, got %d" % len(args))
+        self._elems = OrderedDict()
+        if len(args) == 1:
+            arg = args[0]
+            if hasattr(arg, 'get_elem'):
+                it = ((k, arg.get_elem(k)) for k in arg)
+            elif hasattr(arg, 'items'):
+                it = arg.items()
+            else:
+                it = arg
+            for key, val in it:
+                self[key] = val
+        for key, val in kwargs.items():
+            self[key] = val
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return self._elems[key].value
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, val):
+        if not hasattr(val, 'value'):
+            raise InvalidElemError(val)
+        self._elems[key] = val
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key):
+        del self._elems[key]
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter(self._elems)
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return len(self._elems)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return ('ElemDict(%s)' %
+                ', '.join(['%r=%r' % x for x in self.items()]))
+
+    def update(self, other):
+        if hasattr(other, 'get_elem'):
+            for key in other:
+                self[key] = other.get_elem(key)
+        else:
+            for key, elem in other.items():
+                self[key] = elem
+
+    def get_elem(self, key):
+        return self._elems[key]
+
+
+class ElemList(MutableSequence):
+    '''A list-like container providing easy access to nested elements
+
+    Each value added to the list must in turn have a `value` attribute, which
+    is what is returned by subsequent calls to `__getitem__`. To get the
+    element itself use the `get_elem` method.
+    '''
+    def __init__(self, data=None):
+        self._elems = list()
+        if data is None:
+            return
+        if isinstance(data, self.__class__):
+            for idx in range(len(data)):
+                self.append(data.get_elem(idx))
+        else:
+            for elem in data:
+                self.append(elem)
+
+    def _tuple_from_slice(self, slc):
+        '''Get (start, end, step) tuple from slice object.
+        '''
+        (start, end, step) = slc.indices(len(self))
+        # Replace (0, -1, 1) with (0, 0, 1) (misfeature in .indices()).
+        if step == 1:
+            if end < start:
+                end = start
+            step = None
+        if slc.step is None:
+            step = None
+        return (start, end, step)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, idx):
+        if isinstance(idx, slice):
+            return ElemList(self._elems[idx])
+        else:
+            return self._elems[idx].value
+
+    def __setitem__(self, idx, val):
+        if isinstance(idx, slice):
+            (start, end, step) = self._tuple_from_slice(idx)
+            if step is None:
+                # Normal slice
+                for j, assign_val in enumerate(val):
+                    self.insert(start + j, assign_val)
+                return
+            # Extended slice
+            indices = range(start, end, step)
+            if len(val) != len(indices):
+                raise ValueError(('attempt to assign sequence of size %d' +
+                                  ' to extended slice of size %d') %
+                                 (len(value), len(indices)))
+            for j, assign_val in enumerate(val):
+                self.insert(indices[j], assign_val)
+        else:
+            self.insert(idx, val)
+
+    def __delitem__(self, idx):
+        del self._elems[idx]
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return len(self._elems)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return ('ElemList([%s])' % ', '.join(['%r' % x for x in self]))
+
+    def __add__(self, other):
+        result = self.__class__(self)
+        if isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            for idx in range(len(other)):
+                result.append(other.get_elem(idx))
+        else:
+            for e in other:
+                result.append(e)
+        return result
+
+    def __radd__(self, other):
+        result = self.__class__(other)
+        for idx in range(len(self)):
+            result.append(self.get_elem(idx))
+        return result
+
+    def __iadd__(self, other):
+        if isinstance(other, self.__class__):
+            for idx in range(len(other)):
+                self.append(other.get_elem(idx))
+        else:
+            for e in other:
+                self.append(e)
+        return self
+
+    def insert(self, idx, val):
+        if not hasattr(val, 'value'):
+            raise InvalidElemError(val)
+        self._elems.insert(idx, val)
+
+    def get_elem(self, idx):
+        return self._elems[idx]
diff --git a/nibabel/nicom/dicomwrappers.py b/nibabel/nicom/dicomwrappers.py
index f37d0323a8..5cb419eb05 100755
--- a/nibabel/nicom/dicomwrappers.py
+++ b/nibabel/nicom/dicomwrappers.py
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ class Wrapper(object):
     * is_same_series(other)
     * __getitem__ : return attributes from `dcm_data`
     * get(key[, default]) - as usual given __getitem__ above
+    * get_elem(key) - Provide full DICOM element instead of just value
+    * __iter__ - Iterate over DICOM keys available in this data set
 
     Attributes and things that look like attributes:
 
@@ -293,6 +295,17 @@ def get(self, key, default=None):
         """ Get values from underlying dicom data """
         return self.dcm_data.get(key, default)
 
+    def get_elem(self, key):
+        """ Get DICOM element instead of just the value """
+        tag = tag_for_keyword(key)
+        if tag is None or tag not in self.dcm_data:
+            raise KeyError('"%s" not in self.dcm_data' % key)
+        return self.dcm_data.get(tag)
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        """ Iterate over available DICOM keywords """
+        return iter(self.dcm_data.dir())
+
     @deprecate_with_version('get_affine method is deprecated.\n'
                             'Please use the ``img.affine`` property '
                             'instead.',
diff --git a/nibabel/nicom/tests/test_dicomwrappers.py b/nibabel/nicom/tests/test_dicomwrappers.py
index 0bb875002b..fbcc0794d3 100755
--- a/nibabel/nicom/tests/test_dicomwrappers.py
+++ b/nibabel/nicom/tests/test_dicomwrappers.py
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ def test_wrappers():
         assert dw.get('AcquisitionNumber') is None
         with pytest.raises(KeyError):
             dw['not an item']
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            dw.get_elem('not an item')
         with pytest.raises(didw.WrapperError):
             dw.get_data()
         with pytest.raises(didw.WrapperError):
@@ -93,8 +95,18 @@ def test_wrappers():
         dw = maker(DATA)
         assert dw.get('InstanceNumber') == 2
         assert dw.get('AcquisitionNumber') == 2
+        elem = dw.get_elem('InstanceNumber')
+        assert type(elem) == pydicom.dataelem.DataElement
+        assert elem.value == 2
+        assert elem.VR == 'IS'
         with pytest.raises(KeyError):
             dw['not an item']
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            dw.get_elem('not an item')
+        # Test we get a key error when using real DICOM keyword that isn't in
+        # this dataset
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+            dw.get_elem('ShutterShape')
     for maker in (didw.MosaicWrapper, didw.wrapper_from_data):
         dw = maker(DATA)
         assert dw.is_mosaic
diff --git a/nibabel/tests/test_elemcont.py b/nibabel/tests/test_elemcont.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..02429ca0ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nibabel/tests/test_elemcont.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+""" Testing element containers
+"""
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+from ..elemcont import MetaElem, ElemDict, ElemList, InvalidElemError
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def test_elemdict():
+    # Test ElemDict class
+    e = ElemDict()
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidElemError):
+        e['some'] = 'thing'
+    assert list(e.keys()) == []
+    elem = MetaElem('thing')
+    e['some'] = elem
+    assert list(e.keys()) == ['some']
+    assert e['some'] == 'thing'
+    assert e.get_elem('some') == elem
+
+    # Test constructor
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidElemError):
+        ElemDict(dict(some='thing'))
+    e = ElemDict(dict(some=MetaElem('thing')))
+    assert list(e.keys()) == ['some']
+    assert e['some'] == 'thing'
+    e = ElemDict(some=MetaElem('thing'))
+    assert list(e.keys()) == ['some']
+    assert e['some'] == 'thing'
+    e2 = ElemDict(e)
+    assert list(e2.keys()) == ['some']
+    assert e2['some'] == 'thing'
+
+
+def test_elemdict_update():
+    e1 = ElemDict(dict(some=MetaElem('thing')))
+    e1.update(dict(hello=MetaElem('world')))
+    assert list(e1.items()) == [('some', 'thing'), ('hello', 'world')]
+    e1 = ElemDict(dict(some=MetaElem('thing')))
+    e2 = ElemDict(dict(hello=MetaElem('world')))
+    e1.update(e2)
+    assert list(e1.items()) == [('some', 'thing'), ('hello', 'world')]
+
+
+def test_elemlist():
+    # Test ElemList class
+    el = ElemList()
+    assert len(el) == 0
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidElemError):
+        el.append('something')
+    elem = MetaElem('something')
+    el.append(elem)
+    assert len(el) == 1
+    assert el[0] == 'something'
+    assert el.get_elem(0) == elem
+    assert [x for x in el] == ['something']
+
+    # Test constructor
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidElemError):
+        ElemList(['something'])
+    el = ElemList([elem])
+    assert len(el) == 1
+    assert el[0] == 'something'
+    assert el.get_elem(0) == elem
+    el2 = ElemList(el)
+    assert len(el2) == 1
+    assert el2[0] == 'something'
+    assert el2.get_elem(0) == elem
+
+
+def test_elemlist_slicing():
+    el = ElemList()
+    el[5:6] = [MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there'), MetaElem('world')]
+    assert [x for x in el] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']
+    assert isinstance(el[:2], ElemList)
+    assert [x for x in el[:2]] == ['hello', 'there']
+
+
+def test_elemlist_add():
+    res = ElemList([MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there')]) + ElemList([MetaElem('world')])
+    assert isinstance(res, ElemList)
+    assert [x for x in res] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']
+    res = ElemList([MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there')]) + [MetaElem('world')]
+    assert isinstance(res, ElemList)
+    assert [x for x in res] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']
+    res = [MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there')] + ElemList([MetaElem('world')])
+    assert isinstance(res, ElemList)
+    assert [x for x in res] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']
+    res = ElemList([MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there')])
+    res += [MetaElem('world')]
+    assert [x for x in res] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']
+    res = ElemList([MetaElem('hello'), MetaElem('there')])
+    res += ElemList([MetaElem('world')])
+    assert [x for x in res] == ['hello', 'there', 'world']