Welcome to the Online Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts, a searchable database of some of the western illuminated manuscripts in the British Library. The Library holds one of the richest collections of medieval and renaissance manuscripts in the world, and aims to provide access to images and information about its manuscripts to students, scholars, and the general public.
The Catalogue includes descriptions and images of western manuscripts with pictorial and decorative embellishments, from fully painted miniatures to decorated initials. Because it includes such a wide range of material, it serves as a useful resource for those working in a variety of disciplines.
Users can devise their own search criteria in using the Catalogue. For details of how to use the system, see Search tips
Manuscripts included in the Catalogue:
The illuminated manuscripts in the following collections are included in the Catalogue: Arundel; Burney; Egerton; Hargrave; Harley; Henry Davis; Hirsch; King’s; Lansdowne; Sloane; Stowe and Yates Thompson.
Manuscripts in the Royal collection are being added to the Catalogue, thanks to a generous grant from the AHRC.
PLEASE NOTE: manuscripts in the Additional and Cotton collections are not yet included in the Catalogue.
Project Goals:
Depending on funding, over time, the Catalogue will grow to include around 9,000 western manuscripts. When complete, it will include all British Library codices made before c.1600 with decoration, including decorated initials, significant pen flourishing and non-representational embellishment, and illumination, with at least one image from each manuscript.
Further information about the catalogue
Background
About the records
Further online resources; Reproductions and copyright
Visiting the British Library
