Illustrated Letters From the British Library

I'm a huge fan of fancy capital letters and The British Library has this amazing collection in their archives. This is a miniscule selection of almost 9 full pages of gorgeous historiated initials. 

Image taken from page 370 of 'The Oxford Thackeray. With illustrations. [Edited with introductions by George Saintsbury.]' 

Image taken from page 71 of 'The Century Book of the American Revolution. The story of the pilgrimage of a party of young people to the battlefields of the American Revolution ... Illustrated'

Image taken from page 51 of 'The Century Book of the American Revolution. The story of the pilgrimage of a party of young people to the battlefields of the American Revolution ... Illustrated'

Image taken from page 401 of 'Magyar történelmi emlékek. Kiadja Sz. L'

Image taken from page 278 of 'The City of Dundee illustrated"

Image taken from page 15 of 'La Russie ancienne et moderne, d'après les chroniques nationales, etc'

Image taken from page 105 of 'Glasgow in the “Forties.” [Illustrations, with explanatory text.] ... Revised with notes and a biographical sketch by A. H. Millar'

I love browsing library's archives online. Previously I wrote about them in this list of free photography sources and this ad for Armstrong Photo Engraving.