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A huge thank you to all who donated in 2025; 2026 Q1 Web hosting 0 / $400; planning a move to much cheaper hosting this quarter.
Galleries: index · 
· 
![[picture: book cover]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/tn/0000-cover-q50-360x500.jpg "[picture: book cover]")
Images scanned from The Art of Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times by W. R. Tymms, with an Essay and Instructions by M. D. Wyatt, Architect. London. Published April 2nd 1860 by Day and Son, Lithographers to the Queen.
There are 100 full colour plates in the book done in chromolithography, as well as a chromolithographed title page. I have only scanned a few because my scanner damages the binding. The text is by Matthew Digby Wyatt and the images appear to have been made by W. R. Tymms (and not Symms, as this page used to say).
Title: The Art of Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times
Date: 1860
Total items: 133
Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.
![[picture: Decorative initial letter X from fifteenth Century Nos. 4 and 5.]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/wm/big/074-medieval-red-blue-initial-letter-x-121x200.jpg "[picture: Decorative initial letter X from fifteenth Century Nos. 4 and 5.]")
Decorative initial letter X from fifteenth Century Nos. 4 and 5.
Decorative initial letter X from Fifteenth Century No. 4. [more...] [$]
![[picture: Green and brown border with vines and bird]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/wm/big/84-fifteenth-century-borders-01-q85-709x200.jpg "[picture: Green and brown border with vines and bird]")
Green and brown border with vines and bird
This border was taken from “Hours of the Virgin” (Harl. 2,936). The book is attributed to the Master of Martainville and includes 24 miniatures with foliate borders (such as this one) in colours [...] [more...] [$]
![[picture: Plate 74.---Fifteenth Century No. 4 (one of 2)]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/wm/big/074a-Fifteenth-century-no-4-overview-q75-253x200.jpg "[picture: Plate 74.---Fifteenth Century No. 4 (one of 2)]")
Plate 74.—Fifteenth Century No. 4 (one of 2)
“[...] a series of bold initials from detached fragments in the South Kensington Museum.” (p. 103) [more...] [$]
![[picture: Fourteenth Century Initial Letter M from Plate 65]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/wm/big/65-Fourteenth-century-23-02-M-q85-259x200.jpg "[picture: Fourteenth Century Initial Letter M from Plate 65]")
Fourteenth Century Initial Letter M from Plate 65
A calligraphic decorative letter “M” from a 14th century manuscript, reproduced in this 1860 book. [$]
![[picture: Victorian floral border, red]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Tymms-Illuminating/wm/big/049-victorian-border-red-q85-139x200.jpg "[picture: Victorian floral border, red]")
A version of a printed floral Victorian border used to surround the page of an 1860 book. This version is coloured red like the original. Like many late nineteenth-century designs, this border is clearly inspired by mediaeval decoration, although [...] [more...] [$]
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