Special illustrated works from the 19th and 20th centuries

History of the collection: In 1983 it was decided to bring together in the Department of Special Collections the rare and valuable works of the 19th and 20th centuries that were scattered over the repositories. The collection is still growing.
Size: The special illustrated works from the 19th and 20th centuries amount to a few thousand.
Access: The titles can be found in the alphabetical and systematic catalogues of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek. Moreover, a typographical catalogue is available in the Department of Special Collections for the works acquired before 1992. The OPAC is searchable by printer/publisher. Also, in the Special Collections a card catalogue of printing and illustration techniques may be consulted.
More information:
Paul van Capelleveen - 070-3140331

Description of the collection

Until the 19th century illustration techniques were very labour-intensive and therefore expensive. With the invention of lithography and wood engraving at the end of the 18th century the range of techniques was very much enlarged. More and more books were illustrated, after 1850 also in colour, especially by means of colour lithographies. In the collection examples may be found of these techniques and their derivatives: etchings, wood, copper and steel engravings (often hand-coloured), heliogravures, (colour) lithographies, anastatic processes and photolithographies, collotype, pasted-in photographs, woodburytypes, and relief engravings.

Literature

J. de Zoete ... [et al.] (Eindred.). De techniek van de Nederlandse boekillustratie in de 19e eeuw. Amstelveen, KVGO, 1995. Kerstnummer Grafisch Nederland 1995. Uitg. bij de tentoonstelling die van 18 december 1995 t/m 26 januari 1996 in de Koninklijke Bibliotheek gehouden werd.