This is the story of the illustrated book, from the earliestprinted examples to the present day, told through theoutstanding collections of the National Art Library (NAL)at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.Throughout history, images have been usedto reflect the meaning of words and to enhance ourunderstanding of texts. This volume demonstrates thedevelopment of illustrated books through a uniqueselection made by specialists at the NAL. Gathered hereare some of the most influential, compelling and strikingexamples of the illustrated book arranged thematically inchapters discussing, among other subjects, art, history,architecture and fashion.Each chapter starts with an introductory overviewof the subject, followed by key examples accompaniedby insightful narrative captions. Beyond the illustrationsthemselves, the narratives also consider the whole book,from its design, typeface and binding to its inks andpapers.Beautiful Psalters and Books of Hours sit alongsidestriking natural history books such as Audubon's Birds ofAmerica, La Fontaine's Fables illustrated by Marc Chagall,Serlio's treatise on architecture, and Owen Jones'sGrammar of Ornament. Brimming with innovative andbeautiful examples, this collection offers a fascinatingoverview of some of the finest illustrated books evercreated demonstrating its enduring appeal.