A wealth of useful, eye-catching graphics — from portraits of lovely ladies and bearded gentlemen to lush florals and sentimental notes — abound in this cornucopia of authentic, versatile motifs. Invaluable to commercial artists and designers, this collection will also be welcomed by collagists, decoupeurs, and other craftworkers. 344 illustrations.

More than a pictorial archive of medieval dress and decoration, this beautiful collection is also valuable for its discerning scholarship. A magnificent compilation of artwork from Henry Shaw's detailed study of court life in the Middle Ages, this splendid book provides a grand display of medieval figures and fashions of the times. Reproduced directly from Shaw's original, hand-colored plates and identified by brief captions, more than 200 superb illustrations depict knights in battle, ladies in waiting, kings, queens, popes, and commoners, as well as armor and weapons, jewelry, and other decorative accessories. Skillfully adapted from rare paintings, illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, textiles, and stained glass windows, these lovely illustrations will be invaluable to fashion historians and costume designers. Craftworkers will find them equally useful.

A spectacular range of wildlife appears in this fine collection of painstakingly accurate 19th-century drawings. Both artists and animal lovers will treasure these splendid illustrations of mammals, birds, fish, and insects.

Voluminous, diversified collection of ornamental two-, three-, and four-letter combinations — all in a rich variety of styles, many incorporating crowns, coronets, and ancient and modern alphabets. 130 black-and-white plates.

Richly detailed compendium offers glimpses of social history as reflected by historical periodicals, trade catalogs, architectural graphics, William Morris patterns, Crystal Palace exhibits, and many other sources. Includes color and black-and-white images, detailed bibliographies, and artist biographies.

The illuminated letters in this volume by the great Victorian designer Owen Jones, many taken from an illustrated edition of The Psalms of David, represent popular alphabet motifs that have been copied by artists and designers for more than a century throughout Europe and North America. Each page of this versatile archive contains approximately 40 magnificently embellished individual letters of the alphabet. (There's also an additional page of equally attractive Arabic and Roman numerals.) Foliated and filigreed designs — ranging from small to large, simple to spectacular — display the meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail that have become synonymous with Victorian design. Commercial artists, graphic designers, and craftspeople will find this elegant and versatile treasury of copyright-free decorative letters an excellent and indispensable sourcebook for graphic projects calling for old-fashioned Victorian charm.