The Folger Shakespeare Library

British Book Illustrations:

Extending Access to 17th-Century Visual Culture

Illustration of printing press in use, from Folger STC 25740.

About BBI

Learn more about the Folger’s NEH-funded project to digitize and index 10,000 woodcut and engraved illustrations in British and English-language books.

Screenshot of Iconclass hierarchy for category 41C625, pie.

Iconclass

Explore the classification system used around the world to describe the objects, people, events, and abstract ideas that serve as the subjects of images.

Illustration of Cupid with letter, from Folger STC 24627a.5 Copy 1.

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Please reach out to us with any questions or inquiries about the British Book Illustrations project.

Explore 17th-Century British Book Illustrations

BBI images used on this page:

Floral illustration in site header from folio 16 of Folger STC 19459.
Illustration of printing press from leaf before page 1 of Folger STC 25740.
Illustration of Cupid reading a letter from page 133 of Folger STC 24627a.5 Copy 1.

British Book Illustrations