Prepare to return to the world of decorative illustration. Presented today is an ongoing project that currently provides access to privately owned works which are in the public domain. The works are by and in a few cases about the likes of Owen Jones,

Detail of Elizabethan decorative illustration from the Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones.

Walter Crane,
Evelyn Paul,
William Morris,
Alberto Sangorski and
Kate Greenaway.

Kelmscott Press imprint by William Morris

The Illuminated Books Project is a private non-profit, collaborative effort of three individuals, Alfredo Malchiodi, Anita Malchiodi and Carlos Alonso Cabezas. They share a vision to make available, in high-resolution, many illuminated and illustrated books from their private collections. These books are mainly from the 19th Century Victorian period and include works from the Arts and Crafts Movement and Private Presses extending from 1800’s to the 1920’s. In the selection of books exhibited, particular emphasis is given to the illustration, illumination and book design over the literary content.

From Kate Greenaway’s Alphabet

Illustrated books for children currently feature heavily in this collection which comprises high resolution scanned images, accessible via a simple thumbnail interface. To foil automated downloads you must type in a four digit number before viewing each book. A small price to pay.