RIT Home

Directories

Info Center/SIS

RIT Library home page RIT home page RIT institute directory RIT Student Information Service RIT Libraries Wallace Library Cary Collection RIT Archives

Quaint Cuts, Dingbats, and Flourishes:

Selected Bibliography of Copyright-free Graphics for Reproduction

This bibliography lists many of the books in the RIT Library collections that are useful sources of pictures and other decorative embellishments for desktop publishing, invitations, announcements greeting cards, posters, and other graphics projects. The illustrations included in these collections derive from a great variety of copyright-free sources dating from the middle ages to the twentieth century and were selected and presented in a format suitable for reproduction by photostat, photocopy, or scanning (most are black and white line illustrations). In most cases, up to ten illustrations can be copied for each project without obtaining permission from the publisher. The following general categories have been used to group the books listed in this guide:

  • General Picture Collections
  • Special Subject Collections
  • Decorative Patterns and Motifs
  • Initials, Monograms, and Display Lettering
  • Type Ornaments
  • Decorative Borders and Frames
  • Symbols and Signs

    Sources useful for locating other types of illustrations, such as photographs and reproductions of specific works of art, are given in the guide, "Picture Searching: Selected Resources."

    GENERAL PICTURE COLLECTIONS

    On Order
    Advertising Cuts of the 20s and 30s. New York: Dover, 2000.
    Advertising cuts illustrating industry, construction, transportation, healthcare services, sports, entertainment and other ventures. 765 black and white illustrations. CD-ROM included.

    HF5813.U6A67 1989
    Carbarga, Leslie, ed. Advertising Spot Illustrations of the Twenties and Thirties: 1,593 Cuts. New York: Dover, 1989.
    Illustrations depicting figures and scenes related to topics such as "business, communications, trades and services, automobiles, travel and sports" in styles ranging from late Victorian to art deco

    NE628.2.C36
    Catchpenny Prints: 163 Popular Engravings from the Eighteenth Century. New York: Dover, 1970.
    Reproduced from a series of engravings published as broadsides in London around 1790 by the firm of Bowles and Carver. Most cuts are quite small and rendered with a rather crude vitality. Subjects are often humorous and include literary characters, birds and animals, themes from children's horn book sheets (alphabets, all manner of objects to be spelled, nursery rhymes), trades and occupations, ships, and fashionable and comical types of the day.

    NE1147.6.C7A55 1974
    Crawhall, Joseph. Pictorial Archive of Quaint Cuts in the Chapbook Style. New York: Dover, 1974.
    Reproduction of all the illustrations from Crawhall's 1889 Impresses Quaint rendered in a heavy, intentionally archaic style reminiscent of 17th and 18th century woodcuts. Subjects include "scenes of dalliance and revelry, hunting and fishing, vendors and 'cries', tools and trades, musicians and musical instruments, plant and animal life, heraldry, emblems and mottos ..."

    NE900.S82
    The Encyclopedia of Small Spot Engravings. Phoenix: Valley of the Sun Publishing, 1969.
    General picture encylopedia compiled primarily from 19th century publications. Subjects include American history, animals, trades and occupations, architecture and city views, manufactured items, people, and mythological figures. Subject listing is given on page 4.

    NC1478.P86H86 1985
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Humorous Victorian Spot Illustrations. New York: Dover, 1985.
    Over a thousand reproductions of line drawings taken from issues of Punch(1841 to 1914). Illustrations are grouped by broad subjects--men, women, children, sports, food, art, music, transportation, weapons, telephones, umbrellas, carrying things, animals, and signs of the zodiac. Drawing styles range from realistic to highly exaggerated.

    OVER Z250.3.P48 1983
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Pictorial Archive of Decorative and Illustrative Mortised Cuts. New York: Dover, 1983.
    551 images, all with blank areas for the insertion of type, reproduced from 19th century type specimen books and periodicals. Illustrations are grouped by broad subjects which include human figures holding scrolls, placards, sandwich boards, and newspapers, animals such as elephants draped with blank saddle cloths, floral compositions, landscape vignettes, bottles and other packages, and timepieces. Styles range from the crude chapbook style to the sinuous Art Nouveau.

    NE1092.V5 1982
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Victorian Spot Illustrations, Alphabets and Ornaments from Porret's Type Catalog. New York: Dover, 1982.
    Reproductions of the wood engravings published in Henri-Désiré Porret's Illustrations Typographiques (Paris, 1838-1842). Illustrations are grouped by broad subjects including display and novelty alphabets, ornamental borders, cherubs, subject and trade cuts, the zodiac, allegorical and religious figures, the military, food and drink, buildings and landscapes, animals, plants, and ships.

    REF N7560.P5
    Hart, Harold H. The Picture Reference File. 2 vols. New York: Hart Publishing, 1976.
    Volume 1, A Compendium, contains a diverse collection of 2500 illustrations depicting things (aircraft, gods and goddesses, wild animals), concepts (horror, madness), and activities (exhortation, smoking, and tippling). A few typographic devices have also been included. Volume 2, Humor, Wit, & Fantasy, covers similar subjects, but the illustrations are uniformly light-hearted. Illustrations were gathered from 19th and 20th century books and periodicals. Both volumes have detailed subject indexes following the pictures.

    REF AG6.H413
    Heck, Johann Georg. Encyclopedia of Source Illustrations: A Portable Picture Library of 5,000 Steel Engravings .... 2 vols. Hastings-on-Hudson: Morgan and Morgan, 1972.
    Reprinting of all the plates from The Iconographic Encyclopedia of Science, Literature and Art, the "Anglicized" edition of Brockhaus's Bilder Atlas, published in Philadelphia in 1851. Pictures illustrate aspects of the natural sciences, history, mythology and religion, fine arts, military sciences, and technology in crisp line.

    REF NC997.H58 1956
    Hornung, Clarence P. Handbook of Early Advertising Art, Mainly from American Sources. 3rd ed. Volume 1, Pictorial Volume. New York: Dover, 1956.
    Over 200 pages of cuts reproduced from 19th century type specimen books covering a vast array of subjects, among them,animals, holidays, allegorical figures, vehicles, trades and occupations, portraits of famous people, and household articles. Excellent crisp reproductions. Detailed subject index starts on page 243.

    MULTI 60
    PhotoDisc. The Object Series: Everyday Objects, 1-3. Nos. 6-8. Seattle: 21st Century Media, 1995.
    "PhotoDisc is a carefully edited collection of stock photography ...Each volume includes hundreds of images in both high and low resolution. The Object Series ... features collections of objects from celebrated digital artists and photographers, including Clement Mok, Glen Mitsui and Nick Koudis ... Images are shot against seamless white backgrounds, drum-scanned and come with built-in clipping paths for simplicity of use."

    MULTI 60
    PhotoDisc. Object Series: Metaphorically Speaking. No. 9. Seattle: 21st Century Media, 1995.
    "PhotoDisc is a carefully edited collection of stock photography ...Each volume includes hundreds of images in both high and low resolution. The Object Series ... features collections of objects from celebrated digital artists and photographers, including Clement Mok, Glen Mitsui and Nick Koudis ... Images are shot against seamless white backgrounds, drum-scanned and come with built-in clipping paths for simplicity of use."

    REF NC998.4.P538 1986
    The Pictorial Handbook of Creative Graphic Design. Rome: Edition Belvedere, 1986.
    Hundreds of black and white cuts, most quite small, drawn from publications from the 1920's to the present. Vast subject scope including vehicles, figures, manufactured goods, floral motifs, and animals.

    RESD REF NE75.R611-.R614 1970
    The Ron Yablon Graphic Archives. 4 vols. Exton: Art Direction Book Company, 1970.
    Unnumbered volumes are Things (manufactured goods, clothing, art objects), People (engaged in various activities), Nature (animals, plants, bucolic scenes), and Typography & Design Devices. Cuts and illustrations are rendered in line and were culled from 19th and early 20th century sources. Fair reproductions on heavy paper in loose-leaf format for easy copying. Pictures are arranged by general categories, no index has been provided.

    N4035.H36Z86 1978
    Sietsema, Robert, comp. Attention Getters. New York: Hart Publishing, 1978.
    Over 300 miscellaneous cuts from 19th and 20th century books and periodicals. Subjects include animals, artists, dining and drinking, the military, music, performers, and sports.

    NE940.S9
    Sutphen, Richard. Old Engravings and Illustrations. 2 vols. Minneapolis: The Dick Sutphen Studio, 1965.
    Compilation of reproductions of illustrations from books, periodicals, and advertisements published between 1860 and 1907. Vol. 1, People includes illustrations of various occupations, time periods from ancient civilizations through the 19th century, and well-known historical figures. Vol. 2, Things includes illustrations of architecture, vehicles, furniture, mechanical devices, animals, natural scenes, and ornamental motifs.

    OVER TT771.B75 1974
    William Briggs and Company. Designs and Patterns for Embroiderers and Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1974.
    512 motifs (mostly floral) from the William Briggs and Company Album of Transfer Patterns published around the turn of the century. Designs are all rendered in outline form and range from full-page compositions to tiny accents including borders and repeat patterns as well as single motifs.

    SPECIAL SUBJECT COLLECTIONS

    Animals and Insects
    On Order
    Full-Color Decorative Butterfly Illustrations. New York: Dover, 1999. 388 color illustrations. Book and CD-ROM.
    388 butterflies of different sizes and shapes.

    NE962.A5C58 1971
    Gesner, Konrad. Curious Woodcuts of Fanciful and Real Beasts. New York: Dover, 1971.
    Reproduces a selection of the woodcut illustrations from Gesner's mid-16th century Historia Animalium and later works based on this treatise. Includes mammals, birds, fish, and insects rendered with great charm but varying degrees of accuracy. An index to the illustrations is given on pages 113 to 114.

    NK1449.A1T7 1988
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Treasury of Animal Illustrations from Eighteenth-Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1988.
    600 illustrations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, arachnids, insects, mollusks, and a few botanical specimens from engravings in 18th century French natural history publications. Includes an index following plate 138.

    NE962.A5H37 1979
    Harter, Jim, ed. Animals: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth- Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1979.
    1,419 reproductions of wood engravings of mammals, birds, fish,insects, and reptiles taken from Brehm's Tierleben, The Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature (London), The Riverside Natural History (Boston), Johnson's Natural History (New York), and the French periodical La Nature. Illustrations are broadly grouped by phylum and each is supplied with its common English name. A detailed index is given on pages 280 to 283.

    N6505.H67 1978
    Hornung, Clarence Pearson, ed. The American Eagle in Art and Design. New York: Dover, 1978.
    312 examples of the eagle rendered in many media including photographs of actual birds, 19th and 20th century graphics (type and calligraphic ornaments, posters, magazine covers), free-standing and relief sculpture, and various craft media (textiles, glass, ceramics).

    N7760.H84 1981
    Huber, Richard. A Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures.New York: Dover, 1981.
    1,087 renderings based upon or reproduced from historical sources,including mermaids, chimeras, dragons, gargoyles, devils. Sources for each image are identified and a subject index is provided.

    REF QL46.A46
    Pollack, Pam, comp. The Animal Kingdom. New York: Hart Publishing, 1977.
    Over 2,000 pictures of mammals, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and birds compiled from 19th and 20th century periodicals and books. Includes a detailed subject index.

    NC961.7.A54A54
    Rice, Don, ed. Animals, A Picture Sourcebook. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979.
    More than 700 illustrations of mammals reproduced from 19th and early 20th century sources. Renderings range from scientifically accurate to rather fanciful. Pictures are arranged by order, family, and species and a detailed index of common and scientific names is given on pages 155 to 156.

    N7668.F57R52
    Rice, Don, ed. Fishes, Reptiles and Amphibians: A Picture Sourcebook. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981.
    Reproductions of over 500 drawings and engravings compiled from19th and early 20th century sources. Illustrations are arranged alphabetically by order and family with a detailed index of common and scientific names is included.

    Eating and Drinking

    OVER GT2855.H37 1979
    Harter, Jim. Food and Drink: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth- Century Sources. 3rd rev. ed. New York: Dover, 1983.
    Over one hundred pages of illustrations selected primarily from sources such as Harper's, Leslie's, The [London] Graphic, and The London Illustrated News showing many aspects of food and eating. Images are grouped by general subjects, such as menu decorations, cooks, eating, kitchens, children, wedding feasts, cooking and serving implements, kinds of food (raw and cooked), haute cuisine, and drinking.

    N8217.D67D56
    Pollack, Pam, comp. Dining and Drinking. New York: Hart Publishing, 1977.
    300 illustrations showing situations related to eating and drinking reproduced from 19th and 20th century books and periodicals. Banquets, picnics, restaurants, ethnic feasts, and family dinners are some of the topics illustrated.

    Fashion
    On Order
    Tierney, Tom. 140 Great Fashion Designs, 1950-2000. New York: Dover Publications, 2001.
    140 full-color figures with fashions from the later part of the 20th century.
     

    Flowers and Plants

    NK1560.F75 1982
    Foord, J. Decorative Plant and Flower Studies. New York: Dover, 1982.
    Republication of Decorative Plant & Flower Studies for the Use of Artists, Designers, Students, Others (London, 1906). Plates show common flowers, herbs, and trees in outline style. Captions and descriptive texts accompany the illustrations.

    On Order
    Floral Illustrations. New York: Dover, 1997.
    Reproductions of 89 images depicting many different flowers.

    NE953.V5 1985
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Victorian Floral Illustrations. New York: Dover, 1985.

    Reproductions of 344 wood engravings of exotic plants from Paxton's Flower Garden (London, 1850-1853) and The Natural History of Plants (London, 1902). Renderings are very clear with great attention given to detail and scientific accuracy. Latin and common names are provided for all examples. An index to scientific names is given on pages 106 and 107.

    NK1560.H3 1960
    Hatton, Richard G. The Craftsman's Plant-book. N.p.: Chapman and Hall,1909. Reprint. Handbook of Plant and Floral Ornament from Early Herbals. New York: Dover, 1960.
    Over 500 pages of pictures reproduced from the woodcut and copperplate engraving illustrations of 16th century herbals.Includes herbs, trees, flowers, and vegetables. Illustrations are somewhat muddy but still reproduceable.

    NK1560.R3525 1986
    Raymond, Jehan. Decorative Floral Designs for Needleworkers and Craftspeople. New York: Dover, 1986.
    Reproductions of the Art Nouveau line drawings from Le Cuir: Compositions Decoratives (Paris, 1906). Floral and plant subjects form frames, corners, borders, panels, and individual accent motifs.

    OVER QK98.S95 1976
    Sweerts, Emanuel. Early Floral Engravings. New York: Dover, 1976.
    Reproduction of all 110 copperplate engravings from the herbal, Florilegium Emanuelis Sweerti Septimonti Batavi Amsteledami ... (Frankfurt am Main, 1612). Captions give the common and botanical names for each example and an index is provided on pages xv to xvi.

    Holidays

    OVER GT3930.H64
    Holidays. New York: Hart Publishing, 1977.
    Full page and spot illustrations and decorative motifs for 19 religious and civil holidays compiled primarily from 19th century books and periodicals.

    GT4985.H594
    Hornung, Clarence P., ed. An Old-Fashioned Christmas in Illustration and Decoration. New York: Dover, 1970.
    Full page illustrations, cuts, and ornamental alphabets and borders related to the secular aspects of Christmas, taken from 19th century magazines, prints, greeting cards, and books. Includes illustrations by Thomas Nast, Ralph Caldecott, and Walter Crane.

    NC139.N3A4 1978
    Nast, Thomas. Thomas Nast's Christmas Drawings. New York: Dover, 1978.
    Illustrations from Nast's Christmas Drawings for the Human Race (1890) including his drawings for Harper's and a selection of his work illustrating Clement Moore's "Night Before Christmas."

    Manufacturing and Manufactured Goods

    PT1762.E8 1973
    Amman, Jost, and Sachs, Hans. The Book of Trades (StŠndebuch). Reprint. New York: Dover, 1973.
    Republication of the Eygentliche Beschreibung aller Stande auff Erden ... of 1568. Woodcut illustrations show contemporary professions, trades, and crafts, among them, carpenters, shoemakers, musicians, papermakers, printers, comb makers, clergymen, and potters.

    OVER T9.E473
    Diderot, Denis. A Diderot Pictorial Encyclopedia of Trades and Industry. 2 vols. New York: Dover, 1959.
    485 plates (most reproduced in the original size) from the 1763 edition of Diderot's L 'Encyclopedie ou diccionaire raisonne des sciences, des arts et des metiers showing manufacturing processes and technical arts on the eve of the industrial revolution. The processes and implements used for everything from beekeeping to casting a cannon to building Noah's ark are shown in the clear reproductions from the original engravings. A detailed subject index is given at the end of Volume 2.

    TS199.E28
    Glazebrook, G. de T.; Brett, Katharine B.; and McErvel, Judith. A Shopper's View of Canada's Past: Pages from Eaton's Catalogues, 1886-1930. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1969.
    Line drawings and halftones illustrating the vast stock of Eaton's, which like Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward, sold everything from houses to fountain pens. Date of the source catalog is given for each plate. An index to the illustrated merchandise is given on pages xvii to xviii.

    MULTI 60
    PhotoDisc. Object Series: Just Tools. No. 10. Seattle: 21st Century Media, 1995.
    "PhotoDisc is a carefully edited collection of stock photography ...Each volume includes hundreds of images in both high and low resolution. The Object Series ... features collections of objects from celebrated digital artists and photographers, including Clement Mok, Glen Mitsui and Nick Koudis ... Images are shot against seamless white backgrounds, drum-scanned and come with built-in clipping paths for simplicity of use."

    NK2715.C67
    Pollack, Pam, comp. Chairs. New York: Hart Publishing, 1977.
    Over 500 line drawings and halftones of chairs and seats from ancient times through the 20th century reproduced from 19th and 20th century retail catalogs, periodicals, and books. Arranged chronologically with a detailed subject index starting on page 143.

    NC242.P9A4 1977c
    Pyne, William Henry. Rustic Vignettes for Artists and Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1977.
    Reprint of all 641 illustrations from the 1824 edition of Pyne's Microcosm; or, a Picturesque Delineation of the Arts, Agricultures Manufactures, &c. of Great Britain .... published by Ackermann. Scenes show rural and primitive industrial occupations and are organized by broad subject.

    OVER TJ19.R67 1987
    Rowe, William. Machinery and Mechanical Devices: A Treasury of Nineteenth-Century Cuts. New York: Dover, 1987.
    A collection of "vintage machines, odd contraptions, and incongruous gizmos," selected from 19th century periodicals and books and arranged into surreal collages by noted illustrator and book artist Rowe.

    OVER TS199.S432 1968
    Sears, Roebuck and Company. 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catalogue. Reprint. New York: Chelsea House, 1968.
    Almost 800 pages illustrating the universe of goods available in late 19th century America--clothing and jewelry, household furnishings, tools and farm implements, cosmetics and medicines, weapons, vehicles, and toys. Illustrations are generally small line drawings and the reproductions are somewhat muddy. A detailed subject index starts on page 775.

    TS199.S435 1970
    Sears, Roebuck and Company. 1927 Edition of the Sears, Roebuck Catalog. Reprint. New York: Bounty Books, 1970.
    Slightly abridged version of Sears, Roebuck's 1927 Fall and Winter Catalogue with a scope as broad as that of the 1897 publication, but many more halftone illustrations and somewhat more emphasis on clothing and leisure goods. An index is given on pages 550 to 570.

    OVER TS199.S435 1976
    Sears, Roebuck and Company. The Best of Sears Collectibles, 1905- 1910. New York: Arno Press, 1976.
    Reproduction of selected pages from Sears catalogs from 1905 through 1910 showing merchandise that is now considered "collectible"--cameras, lamps, stoves, musical instruments, etc. Rather muddy reproductions of the original line drawings.

    N8217.C48G66
    Sietsema, Robert, comp. Goods & Merchandise. New York: Hart Publishing, 1978.
    1500 pictures of manufactured items of all types taken from over 40 19th and early 20th century retail and trade catalogs, periodicals, and books. A detailed subject index is given on pages 124-127.

    TS199.W255
    Ward (Montgomery) and Company. Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue and Buyer's Guide, No.57, Spring and Summer, 1895. Reprint. New York: Dover, 1969.
    Unabridged reprint of the 1895 catalog with small but very clear line drawings of the vast array of merchandise available from Montgomery Ward--household furnishings, clothing and jewelry, tools and farm equipment, toys, office supplies, cosmetics and patent medicines, yard goods, books, etc. A detailed subject index is given between pages 2 and 3.

    OVER TS199.W26 1969
    Ward (Montgomery) and Company. 1922 Montgomery Ward Catalogue. Reprint. N.p.: HC Publishers, 1969.
    Facsimile reproduction of Montgomery Ward's Golden Jubilee Catalog, No. 97, shows the wealth of products available to the average American in 1922. Both line drawings and halftones are used to illustrate the merchandise, and pictures are generally quite clearly reproduced. A detailed subject index starts on page 323.

    Music

    ML460.B93 1964b
    Bonanni, Filippo. Antique Musical Instruments and Their Players. New York: Dover, 1964.
    Reproductions of 152 plates engraved by Arnold van Westerhout for the 1723 publication, Gabinetto Armonico. Clear full-page illustrations show instruments of all types, periods, and origins being played by musicians in appropriate costumes. Brief descriptions of the instruments accompany each plate and an English language name index at is given at the end of the volume.

    OVER ML89.H37 1980
    Harter, Jim. Music: A Pictorial Archive of Woodcuts & Engravings. New York: Dover, 1980.
    841 reproductions of woodcuts and wood engravings illustrating a great variety of ancient and modern musical instruments, musicians performing (singly and in groups), portraits of composers, early recording equipment, and musical notation.

    People

    NE962.C47 1978
    Grafton, Carol Belanger. Children: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1978.
    240 half-page size reproductions of wood engravings published in Chatterbox and British Workwoman between 1884 and 1899. Illustrations show boys and girls engaged in various everyday activities--sleeping, playing with toys, washing, reading--as well as more dramatic scenes.

    NE962.H35H37 1985
    Harter, Jim. Hands: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1985.
    1166 reproductions of wood engravings taken from Chatterbox, Die Frau als Hausarztin, Illustrated London News, La Nature, Scientific American, and Tom Tit. Images show hands performing a great variety of tasks, among them, pointing, performing magic tricks, sewing, using tools, performing scientific experiments, making shadow figures, holding objects, and spelling out the deaf alphabet.

    NE962.M44M46 1980
    Harter, Jim. Men: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1980.
    Reproductions of 412 wood engravings culled from periodicals such as Harper's, Leslie's and Illustrated London News. The selection includes men of all ages and races engaged in activities such as fencing, dancing, mining, running, riding horses, cooking, skiing, smoking, hunting, and rescuing babies from burning houses.

    N7632.W599
    Harter, Jim. Women: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1978.
    319 reproductions of wood engravings originally published in Harper's, Leslie's, The [London] Graphic, and The Illustrated London News showing women of many ages and races engaged in a great variety of activities, among them, acrobatics, factory work, murder, sleep, and painting. Sizes range from full page reproductions to small cuts.

    NC975.V5 1990
    Johnson, Judy M., ed. Vintage Spot Illustrations of Children: 795 Cuts from the Teens and Twenties. New York: Dover, 1990.
    Approximately 800 illustrations originally published in early 20th century women's and childrenÕs magazines. Children (sometimes with mothers) are shown engaged in a variety of lighthearted activities, and many illustrations are related to holidays.

    MULTI 60
    PhotoDisc. Object Series: Just Hands. No. 11. Seattle: 21st Century Media, 1995.
    "PhotoDisc is a carefully edited collection of stock photography ...Each volume includes hundreds of images in both high and low resolution. The Object Series ... features collections of objects from celebrated digital artists and photographers, including Clement Mok, Glen Mitsui and Nick Koudis ... Images are shot against seamless white backgrounds, drum-scanned and come with built-in clipping paths for simplicity of use."

    N8219.L2T72
    Trades & Professions. New York: Hart Publishing, 1972.
    Over 1000 pictures of workers in many occupations (accountants, barbers, loggers, weavers, etc.) culled primarily from 19th and 20th century books and magazines. Illustrations are grouped into 53 categories with a detailed subject index starting on page 412.

    Silhouettes

    NC910.D24 1975
    Day, Jo Anne C. Decorative Silhouettes of the Twenties for Designers & Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1975.
    84 silhouettes reproduced from a collection of German die-cuts manufactured in the 1920's. Figures include fashionable ladies and gentlemen, cupids, Pan, butterflies, bucolic and historical scenes.

    NC910.S49 1979
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Silhouettes: A Pictorial Archive of Varied Illustrations. New York: Dover, 1979.
    Silhouette illustrations from a variety of pre-20th century sources grouped by broad subject: men, women, children, groups and scenes, birds and animals, other subjects from nature and ships.

    Transportation

    NC825.V45T7 1984
    Harter, Jim. Transportation: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1984.
    525 reproductions of wood-engraved illustrations from 19th century periodicals (Harper's, Leslie's, Scientific American ). Images are grouped by broad subjects and include bicycles, cars, horse-drawn vehicles, ships, trains and exotic forms such as rickshaws, elephants, and swan barges.

    TS2033.C6 1970
    Cook (G. and D.) and Company, New Haven. G. & D. Cook & Co.'s Illustrated Catalogue of Carriages and Special Business Advertiser. Reprint. New York: Dover, 1970.
    Unabridged and unaltered reproduction of the 1860 trade catalog of the Connecticut manufacturer. Clear illustrations of Cook's line of carriages with a variety of goods and services (steam engines, hardware, safes, sewing machines, hotels, etc.) advertised on page versos.

    OVER TJ603.2.W49 1972
    White, John H., Jr. Early American Locomotives, with 147 Engravings. New York: Dover, 1972.
    Illustrations of locomotives, most of American manufacture, reproduced from engravings in late 19th century engineering trade journals such as Railroad Gazette and Engineering. Brief descriptions (including dates and manufacturer) are given for each plate.

    Miscellaneous Pictorial Material

    NE962.C48O43 1979
    Fox, Charles Philip, ed. Old-Time Circus Cuts. New York: Dover, 1979.
    202 illustrations reproduced from 19th and early 20th Century circus advertisements, showing clowns, animals, acrobats and other circus acts in a variety of styles.

    N8140.L35
    Lehner, Ernst and Johanna Lehner. Devils, Demons, and Damnation. New York: Dover, 1971.
    "244 representations, symbols, and manuscript pages of devils and death from Egyptian times to 1913." Includes illustrations by Durer, Holbein, Cranach, and Rembrandt. Images are grouped into chapters such as "Hell and Damnation," "Danse Macabre," and "Witches and Warlocks."

    MULTI 60
    PhotoDisc. Object Series: Just Documents. No. 12. Seattle: 21st Century Media, 1995.
    "PhotoDisc is a carefully edited collection of stock photography ...Each volume includes hundreds of images in both high and low resolution. The Object Series ... features collections of objects from celebrated digital artists and photographers, including Clement Mok, Glen Mitsui and Nick Koudis ... Images are shot against seamless white backgrounds, drum-scanned and come with built-in clipping paths for simplicity of use."

    N8261.W42W4
    Pollack, Pam, comp. Weather. New York: Hart Publishing, 1977.
    200 illustrations of weather and sky conditions--clouds, gales lightning, rain, rainbows, sandstorms, snow, sunbursts, thunderstorms, tornados, and wind. Most pictures are line drawings culled from 19th and 20th Century books and magazines.

    NE958.N48 1986
    Rice, Don, ed. The New Testament: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources. New York: Dover, 1986.
    311 reproductions of wood engravings from 19th Century Bibles including titles illustrated by the Dalziel brothers and W.J. Linton.Illustrations are presented in biblical sequence with captions from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. A subject index is given on pages 138 to 139.

    OVER U800.W4
    Sietsema, Robert, comp. Weapons & Armor. New York: Hart Publishing,1978.
    1400 pictures of weapons and armor used from ancient times through World War I, most reproduced from 19th Century periodicals and books. A detailed subject index is given on pages 189-191.

    DECORATIVE PATTERNS AND MOTIFS

    NK1483.A1D3 1981
    D'Adetta, Joseph. Treasury of Chinese Design Motifs. New York: Dover, 1981.
    284 line drawings derived from motifs and patterns decorating Chinese art objects (14th to 19th Century). Includes floral, animal, wave, and abstract designs suitable for spot illustrations, borders, and frames.

    NK1530.D73
    Dresser, Christopher. Modern Decoration: Being a Series of Original Designs .... London: B.T. Batsford, 1886. Reprint. N.p.: American Life Foundation & Study Institute, 1976.
    Includes the 50 plates of primarily floral motifs, borders, and all-over patterns from the original edition plus selections from Dresser's 1862 work, The Art of Decorative Design.

    On Order
    Full-Color Allover Patterns. New York: Dover, 2001. book and CD-ROM.
    Over 125 patterns adapted from 15th to 20th-century sources.

    NK1530.H66 1975
    Hornung, Clarence P. Allover Patterns for Designers and Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1975.
    114 repeating patterns reproduced in full page size. Designs range from abstract to representational, and are suggestive of the decorative vocabularies of a great variety of European and Oriental styles--Celtic spirals, Chinese lattices, Arabic stars, and Japanese family crests. Many designs have been rendered in color.

    NK1530.H67 1976
    Hornung, Clarence P. Background Patterns, Textures and Tints. New York: Dover, 1976.
    92 full page plates of geometric patterns, trompe I'oeil surfaces, freehand designs, grids, moire patterns, etc.

    NK1570.H58 1970
    Horemis, Spyros. Optical and Geometrical Patterns and Designs. New York: Dover, 1970.
    Illustrations ranging in size from 2" X 2" to 9" X 11" including a few plates suitable for background patterns. Some illustrations have been reproduced in color.

    NK1570.L56 1972
    Loeb, Marcia. Art Deco Designs & Motifs. New York: Dover, 1972.
    100 geometric designs loosely based on art objects and architectural decoration from the 1910's and 1920's. Includes corners, borders, an alphabet, and many ornamental motifs (some full page size). A few illustrations are in color.

    NK1580.K7 1978
    Knight, F. Scroll Ornaments of the Early Victorian Period. New York: Dover, 1978.
    Reproduction of the plates from Knight's Scroll Ornaments Designed for the use of Silversmiths, Chasers, Die-Sinkers, Modellers, &c. &c. published by J. Williams in London in the 19th century. Designs include a variety of borders, medallions, and motifs ornamented with classically-derived forms such as acanthus leaves, masks, and palmettes.

    NK1530.M53
    Mirow, Gregory. A Treasury of Design for Artists and Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1969.
    725 line drawings of paisleys, floral and geometric designs, folk and primitive motifs.

    NK1396.A76R67 1985
    Rowe, William. Art Deco Spot Illustrations and Motifs. New York: Dover, 1985.
    513 geometric designs and stylizations of natural forms ranging from postage stamp-size to full-page. Includes corners, borders, and many designs with blank areas for type.

    NK1535.R68A52 1973
    Rowe, William. Original Art Deco Designs. New York: Dover, 1973.
    80 pages of full page designs, borders and decorative motifs, a few alphabets and number sets, most based on geometric forms. Includes several color plates.

    NK1560.F55 1987
    Solo, Dan X., ed. Floral and Decorative Allover Patterns. New York: Dover, 1987.
    93 full-page plates of highly stylized repeat patterns, most derived from nature (leaves, flowers, animals). Stylistic influences include Japanese art, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco.

    INITIALS, MONOGRAMS, AND DISPLAY LETTERING

    NK3640.B22 1983
    Baker, Arthur. Calligraphic Swash Initials. New York: Dover, 1984.
    500 examples of capital letters, each given in at least 10 variations, and all exhibiting the author's characteristic bold flowing style.

    NK3640.C48 1970
    Cirker, Hayward, and Cirker, Blanche, eds. Monograms and Alphabetic Devices. New York: Dover, 1970.
    Unabridged republication of four 19th Century books of monograms, names, ciphers, and other alphabetic devices, most quite ornamental. Indexes to names and monograms begin on page 215.

    NK3640.M713 1982
    Diebener, Wilhelm, ed. Monograms & Decorations from the Art Nouveau Period. New York: Dover, 1982 .
    Reprint of all the plates from the 6th edition of Diebner's 1911 Monogramme und Dekorationen. Extensive examples for each two-letter monogram represent a variety of styles. Miscellaneous decorative devices and several complete alphabets are also reproducted. An index of monograms precedes the plates.

    NK3620.D64 1976
    Florid and Unusual Alphabets by Midolle, Silvestre and Others. New York: Dover, 1976.
    109 complete alphabets selected from four 19th Century albums--Silvestre's 1843 Alphabet-Album..., Stirling's 1844 Bellezas de la caligraf’a, Klimsch's Zierschriften, and Midolle's 1834 Galerie: Compositions avec Ecritures Anciennes et Modernes.... Many alphabets incorporate pictorial elements and in several, letters are constructed from such diverse motifs as devils, Gothic tracery, and human figures.

    NK3630.G5 1972
    Gillon, Edmund V., Jr., ed. Pictorial Calligraphy and Ornamentation. New York: Dover, 1972.
    Selected pages from three 17th Century works on calligraphy: Morante's Nueva arte de escrevir (1616-1631), Sellari's Laberinto di varii caratteri (1635), and Antonozzi's De caratteri (1638). In addition to initials and alphabets, plates include frames ornamented with figures, animals, and flourishes.

    NK3630.B55 1981
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Bizarre and Ornamental Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1981.
    1,685 upper case letters drawn from 11th to 20th Century sources. Examples include alphabets composed of body parts, animals, and demons, as well as ornamental and historiated letters.

    NK3625.V53F36 1984
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Fanciful Victorian Initials. New York: Dover, 1984.
    Over one thousand decorated initial letters (most humorously illustrated) taken from Punch. Cuts are grouped by letter and a miscellaneous section includes short words and phrases (the, finis, etc.).

    REF NC997.H58 1956
    Hornung, Clarence P. Handbook of Early Advertising Art, Mainly from American Sources. 3rd ed. Volume 2, Typographical and Ornamental Volume. New York: Dover, 1956.
    310 pages of ornamental and display alphabets, decorative initials, borders, type ornaments, scrolls and flourishes, rules and panels reproduced primarily from type specimen books published before 1890.

    Z250.W86 1977
    Kelly, Rob Roy, ed. Wood Type Alphabets, 100 Fonts. New York: Dover, 1977.
    100 display fonts, some with lowercase letters, numbers, and complementary borders and decorative devices reproduced from the catalogs and specimen books of American wood type manufacturers of the 19th Century.

    NK3631.L37A45 1976
    Larcher, Jean. Fantastic Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1984.
    24 uppercase display alphabets evoking specific themes such as "Gruyere,""Computer," and "Carnaval." Words and phrases show applications of selected faces.

    NK3625.A7L63 1975
    Loeb, Marcia. New Art Deco Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1975.
    38 complete uppercase alphabets, five including numbers, and many incorporating pictorial elements.

    NK1530.G52
    The Main Street Press, comp. A Book of Ornamental Alphabets, Initials, Monograms, and Other Designs. New York: Main Street/Universe Books, 1976.
    120 plates selected from The Universal Decorator published in London in 1863. Includes ornate alphabets and other letter devices, borders, corners scrolls, and ornamental motifs based on tiles, bosses, column capitals and other forms of architectural decoration.

    OVER Z250.3.R64
    Menten, Theodore, ed. Art Nouveau & Early Art Deco Type & Design from the Roman Scherer Catalogue. New York: Dover, 1972.
    Reprint of selected pages from the 1908 catalog of Roman Scherer, a manufacturer of wood type in Lucerne, Switzerland. Includes approximately 100 floral and abstract borders, 100 decorations (rules, pointing hands, stars, florals, arrows, etc.), and 24 alphabets, all given in a variety of sizes for easy adaptation.

    NK3600.N39
    Nesbitt, Alexander, ed. Decorative Alphabets and Initials. New York:Dover, 1959.
    Includes line renderings of 8th to 15th century manuscript initials, reproductions of initials in 15th to 18th century printed books (many incorporating figures and floral ornament), and ornamental alphabets and initials from 19th and early 20th century books and type specimen catalogs.

    NK3625.A73T73 1984
    Petzendorfer, Ludwig, ed. Treasury of Authentic Art Nouveau Alphabets, Decorative Initials, Monograms, Frames & Ornaments. New York: Dover, 1984.
    Slightly altered republication of Schriftenatlas neue Folge ... published in Stuttgart by Julius Hoffmann around 1903. Includes 137 complete alphabets, 23 sets of ornate capital letters, examples of initials and names, and examples of typographic applications (title pages, labels, logos, advertisements, etc.) by contemporary designers. A glossary is given on page ix and an alphabetical list of typefaces begins on page xii.

    NK1535.R68A45 1974
    Rowe, William. Exotic Alphabets and Ornament. New York: Dover, 1974.
    Highly decorative Art Deco style alphabets incorporating natural forms and abstract patterns and including one alphabet of full page size letters. Large decorative panels based on insect, shell, and floral themes are reproduced in Part 2.

    NK3615.S3 1756a
    Schwandner, Johann Georg von. Calligraphia Latina. N.p.: n.p.,1756; Reprint. Calligraphy. New York: Dover, 1958.
    Unabridged republication of the 18th century treatise with illustrations drawn by Ferdinand von Freisleben. Includes calligraphic alphabets, borders, cartouches, frames, and tailpieces.

    Z250.A77 1976
    Solo, Dan X. Art Nouveau Display Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1976.
    100 Art Nouveau style fonts most with lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and many with complementary type ornaments. Selected from the Solotype Typographers Catalog.

    Z250.S17 1979 Solo, Dan X. Sans Serif Display Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1979.
    100 fonts, most with lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Many fonts are given in several weights. Selected from the Solotype Typographers Catalog.

    NK3630.S67 1978
    Solo, Dan X. Special-Effects and Topical Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1978.
    100 fonts complete with upper- and lowercase alphabets and numerals drawn from the Solotype Typographers Catalog. Examples include faces evocative of the names "Arrowhead,""Bunny Ears,""Static," and "Jiminy Christmas."

    Z250.V53
    Solo, Dan X. Victorian Display Alphabets. New York: Dover, 1976.
    100 fonts (most quite ornamental), with lowercase letters, numbers, and punctuation marks given for many fonts. Many also include complementary cuts or type ornaments. Selected from the Solotype Typographers Catalog.

    Z250.25.D43 1985
    Solo, Julie. Decorative and Display Numbers. New York: Dover, 1985.
    Complete 0-9 number sets in 739 fonts. Great variety of styles (unembellished, ornamental, pictorial, novelty) and weights. Selected from the Solotype Typographers Archive.

    NK3640.T3 1985
    Takahashi, Kiyoshi. Modern Monograms. New York: Dover, 1984.
    1,310 two-letter monograms using a wide variety of typefaces. Arranged by the first letter, two or three examples are given for each combination.

    TYPE ORNAMENTS

    NK3631.B34A4 1981
    Baker, Arthur. New Calligraphic Ornaments and Flourishes. New York: Dover, 1984.
    Boldly rendered ornaments drawn by the author including horizontal elements, arrows, pointing hands, swirls, framing elements, birds, and fish. Many designs are reproduced in several sizes for ease of duplication.

    NK1580.B3 1983
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Banners, Ribbons & Scrolls. New York: Dover, 1983.
    500 ornaments varying in size from small cuts to full-page borders drawn from a variety of 19th century periodicals, type catalogs, book plates, and copy books. Styles range from Gothic to Art Nouveau, and many examples include pictorial elements (eagles, figures, flowers, landscapes). All incorporate blank areas to insert lettering.

    OVER Z250.3.P5
    Grafton, Carol Belanger. Pictorial Archive of Printer's Ornaments from the Renaissance to the 20th century. New York: Dover, 1980.
    Approximatey 1500 ornaments taken from type specimen catalogs and other sources from the Renaissance through the 19th century. Includes headpieces, tailpieces, dingbats, scrolls, trophees, lunettes, fleurons, calligraphic and heraldic devices, cupids, and wreaths.

    Z250.3.S65 1982
    Solo, Dan X. Art Nouveau Typographic Ornaments. New York: Dover, 1982.
    Hundreds of examples of borders, spot illustrations, head- and tailpieces, dingbats, scrolls, wreaths, and frames, most derived from plant and animal forms. Ornaments have been drawn from turn-of-the-century type speciman catalogs published in Europe and the United States and many are reproduced in mirror image.

    NK3631.T35A4 1983
    Takahashi, Kiyoshi. 850 Calligraphic Ornaments for Designers and Craftsmen. New York: Dover, 1984.
    A great variety delicately rendered non-representational figures drawn by the author, ranging from the simple to the very complex. Designs are suitable for ornaments or borders and many are reproduced in several sizes.

    NK1530.T93 1980
    Typony, Inc. Etcetera Graphic Devices. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1960.
    Very clearly printed motifs (floral, crosses, snowflakes, nautical, heraldic, abstract), dingbats, frames and borders, cartouches, etc. ranging in style from highly ornamented to severe.

    DECORATIVE BORDERS AND FRAMES

    OVER Z250.3.B782 1976
    Bruce's (George ) Son and Company. Victorian Frames, Borders and Cuts from the 1882 Type Catalog of George Bruce's Son & Co. New York: Dover, 1976.
    Selection of material from Specimens of Printing Types, published in New York in 1882. Ornate ornamental and pictorial borders in all shapes, frames, and corners, many with complementary cuts. Also includes pictorial cuts of occupational scenes and emblems.

    OVER Z250.3.D47 1987
    Derriey, Charles. Borders, Frames, and Decorative Motifs from the 1862 Derriey Typographic Catalog. New York: Dover, 1987.
    113 plates from Specimen-Album issued by the Parisian firm of Charles Derriey. Ornaments span a wide variety of historical styles and include vignettes, corners, frames and cartouches, boxes, andrules. Sample compositions of contemporary commercial applications (cards, letterheads, title pages, etc.) are also included.

    NK1530.C37 1975
    Gillon, Edmund V., Jr., ed. Cartouches and Decorative Small Frames. New York: Dover, 1975.
    Over 300 examples of frames and labels dating from the 16th through the 20th century, many incorporating pictorial elements (cupids, sinuous ladies, laughing Santas, hands, flowers, fruit, and architectural elements, for example). Many examples are derived from bookplates and all have blank space for the insertion of type.

    NK1530.G54 1973
    Gillon, Edmund V., Jr., ed. Decorative Frames and Borders. New York: Dover, 1973.
    Almost 400 frames, borders, and cornerpieces, most drawn from 19th and early 20th century type specimen catalogs. Styles range from Egyptian to Art Nouveau and all have blank areas to insert type. Many examples incorporate pictorial elements and even scenic vignettes, among them cats, playing cards, shoes, theater curtains, and magic lamps.

    NK3630.4.B67A78 1983
    Grafton, Carol Belanger. Art Nouveau Frames and Borders. New York: Dover, 1983.

  • 250 abstract and figurative borders in a great variety of shapes and sizes reproduced from 19th century periodicals (The Inland Printer, Harper's Weekly, Art et Decoration, and Simplicissimus) and type specimen books.

    OVER Z250.3.T73 1984
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Treasury of Victorian Printer's Frames, Ornaments and Initials. New York: Dover, 1987.
    Examples reproduced from the 1883-1885 volumes of The Printers' International Specimen Exchange, an annual compilation of the best British commercial letterpress and lithographic printing. Border elements include "fretwork, diaper patterns, foliated and floriated decoration, and many other ornamental devices ... designs incorporate scenic vignettes, religious and mythological subjects, naturalistic images of plants and animals ..." Over 200 ornaments, including decorative initials, head- and tailpieces, fleurons, and dingbats are also reproduced.

    NK3630.4.B67V52
    Grafton, Carol Belanger, ed. Victorian Pictorial Borders. New York: Dover, 1984.
    124 full-page figuratively illustrated borders from Moore's Irish Melodies (London, 1846), the German periodical Jugend, Chants et chansons populaires de la France (Paris, ca. 1840), and Chansons populaires des provinces de France (Paris, 1860). Subjects include sentimental scenes, flowers, and medieval settings. All include space to insert type.

    OVER Z250.3.R64
    Menten, Theodore, ed. Art Nouveau & Early Art Deco Type & Design from the Roman Scherer Catalogue. New York: Dover, 1972.
    Reprint of selected pages from the 1908 catalog of Roman Scherer, a manufacturer of wood type in Lucerne, Switzerland. Includes approximately 100 floral and abstract borders printed in a variety of sizes for easy adaptation.

    SYMBOLS AND SIGNS

    REF and OVER AZ108.D74
    Dreyfuss, Henry. Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972.
    Internationally-used pictographs presented in uniform one inch size. Symbols are given for all disciplines and activities and are organized by meaning and also by graphic form. A detailed subject index is given on pages 270-292.

    NK1570.H6 1959
    Hornung, Clarence P. Hornung's Handbook of Designs and Devices. Rev. ed. New York: Dover, 1959.
    1836 motifs based on fundamental geometric forms such as the circle, the triangle, the square, the diamond, the cross, the pentagon, the hexagon, etc., derived from historical ornamental forms. All motifs reproduced in white on black in a uniform one inch size.

    REF AZ108.L4 1969
    Lehner, Ernst. Symbols, Signs & Signets. New York: 1950. Reprint. New York: Dover, 1969.
    1355 pictorial and abstract devices pertaining to a great variety of subjects--religion, astronomy, magic, heraldry, etc. Also includes trade and makers' marks, Japanese crests, cattle brands, and other types of marks.


    Maintained by Kari Horowicz.
  •