The use of the word illuminated refers not to decoration in gold, but both to the high number of illustrations and to the fact the half-titles, title leaves, and the presentation, birth, death, and marriage leaves are printed using colored inks. The pages are 13" x 9".

This Bible was "entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by Harper & Brothers. In the Clerk's office of the Southern District of New York. Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 82 Cliff Street. 1846". A bibliography by the librarian [Margaret Thorndike Hills] of the American Bible Society, New York, in 1962, identified the location of nine copies of the Bible. In 1999, not including the above, I could identify the location of nine more copies.

MARRIAGES

• George C Snyder and Eleanor Donaldson May 3 1812 by Rev James P WIlson, D.D. Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia
• Jesse Hughes and Hannah Edmunds Sep 14 1796
• Jesse Hughes and Sarah Woolson, Feb 8 1827
• William D Snyder and Julia Ann Hughes Oct 14 1841 by Rev Joseph H Jones, D.D. Pastor of Sixth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia
• William R Abby of Philadelphia and Eleanor Donaldson Snyder by Rev Dr Weberston, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Duluth MN June 21 1872
• Rev Henry L Molcook of Philadelphia and Mrs Eleanor D. L. Abby Jun 27 1900 in the chapel of Tabernacle Presbyterian by the Rev George Van Deurs.

BIRTHS:

• George Snyder born Auspach Germany Mar 2 1728
• Marry his wife born Frankfort on the Maine 1738
• Philip Snyder eldest son of George and Mary Snyder born Apr 27 1757
• Jane Raser wife of Philip born 1760
• George C Snyder son of Philip and Jane Snyder birn Nov 3 1785
• Eleanor Donaldson wife of George Snyder was born Oct 15 1789
• Jesse Hughes born Nov 19 1770
• Hannah Edmunds wife of Jesse Highes was born Mar 30 1775
• William D Snyder eldest son of George C and Eleanor Snyder was born Aug 9 1813
• Julia Ann Hughes wife of William D Snyder was born Feb 17 1819
• Eleanor Donaldson daughter of William D and Julia Ann Snyder was born Jun 21 1842
• William Henry Snyder son of William D and Julia Ann born May 26 1844
• Joseph Jones Snyder son of William D Snyder born Jun 25 1847

DEATHS:

• George Snyder dies Philadelphia Oct 4 1799
• Mary Snyder his wife died Philadelphia Feb 3 1799
• Philip Snyder son of George and Mary Snyder died Oct 20 1793
• Jane Snyder wife of Philip died 1788
• George C Snyder son of Philip and Jane died Mar 3 1860
• Eleanor Snyder wife of George C Snyder died Mar 15 1865
• Julia Ann Snyder wife of William D Snyder died Jan 31 1851 Beverely NJ
• William D Snyder dies Aug 9 1863
• William H Snyder died Jul 23 1903 Chapman Kansas
• Eleanor D. S. Mr Cook died Feb 14 1918
• Joseph L Snyder died Newark Valley Apr 20 1923
• Raymond Burne Snyder died in NV Apr 10 1926

The Contents of the Bible are: 844, 128, 256, [60],[12],(OT, Apocrypha, NT). The 60 miscellaneous pages are: (3) alphabetical table of proper names, (1) Tables & Weights, (8) Chronological Index, (14) Index to subjects, (34) Concordance. There are twelve leaves of plates (12) including: Token page, Engraving 'Healing of Jacob and Joseph', Holy Bible leaf, Title leaf, Contents, Aprocrypha Title leaf, Marriage, Births, Deaths, Engraving 'Christ Healing Bartimeus', NT Colored leaf, NT Title page. And five (5) blamk leaves

The prospectus for this Bible says says:

Complete in about 50 numbers at 25 cents. Harper's Illuminated and New Pictorial Bible. Embellished with Sixteen Hundred Historical Engravings, Exclusive of an initial letter to each chapter, By J.A.[Joseph Alexander] Adams [1803-1880], More than fourteen hundred of which are from original designs, by J.G.[John Gadsby] Chapman [1808-1889]. It will be printed from the standard copy of the American Bible Society, and contain Marginal References, the Apocrypha, a Concordance Table, List of Proper Names, General Index, Table of Weights, Measures, etc. The large Frontpiece, Titles to the Old and New Testaments, Family Record, Presentation plate, Historical Illustrations, and Initial Letters to the chapters, Ornamental Borders, etc., will be from original designs, made expressly to this edition by J. G. Chapman, Esq., of New York. In addition to which, there will be numerous large engravings, from designs by distinguished modern artists in France and England; to which a full index will be be given in the last number [not done]. The Great superiority of early proof impressions, from the Engravings, will ensure in those who take the work in Numbers the possession of it in The Highest State of Perfection

Jonathan Byrd's Rare Books and Bibles refers to this Bible as: "An absolute masterpiece of printing, and one of the ten most important ever printed in America". W. J. Linton, noted wood-engraver and author knew "no other book like this, so good, so perfect in all it undertakes. The illustrations are like picturings of history as are many of the old European Biblical paintings and illustrations".

The engraver, Joseph A. Adams was the first in America to use the electrotype process from woodcut engravings. He was hired by Harper & Brothers on a half-contract basis at $6,000 and he had an arrangement that he would see the whole project through to the end. Artists were engaged for more than six years in the preparation of the designs and engravings at a cost of $25,000.

1,400 of the 1,600 engravings were designed by J. G. Chapman and the prim line-work of the drawings was carefully reproduced by Harper and Brothers. Chapman was paid a little over $2,000 for his drawings.

There are 187 5"x7" illustrations in this Bible. It is mentioned that a total of 1,400 of the 1,600 illustrations (excluding the letters) were done by Chapman. All but forty-three are decorated with an elaborate border. These illustrations were done by unnamed artists from England and France and Chapman added borders (43 exceptions without a border). It's interesting to note that the Chapman borders around the other 145 illustrations are only nine different designs.

The 1,400 illustrations referred to above were done by Chapman. These are set into the text throughout the Bible to depict the verse. 215 of these were placed at the beginning of the chapter in lieu of using a letter. There are 1,361 chapters in the Bible. At the beginning of each chapter Harper inserted a floriated letter to begin the Chapter or an image by Chapman or in some cases (18) no image or letter. There are 1,078 floriated initials that begin 1,078 verses. Each of these letters are different engravings. There are 353 different A's, 210 different T's and 107 different N's. There are no Q's or X's and only 1 V and Z and 3 R's and Y's.

Signature numbering. As mentioned before, the parts were in 4-page signatures. The bound Bibles from 1846 on have the following signature markings:

• The Old Testament: is numbered I through 5O beginning on page 65. A through H is not marked on the first 64 pages. The numbering skips the letter J and is I-Z, Aa Bb Cc to Zz and Aaa Bbb Ccc-Zzz and then 4A 4B 4C to 5O.
• The Apocrypha: is numbered A-Q and 1-16 with the A starting on page 1 and the 1 starting on page 5. J is also skipped here and the letter P is not numbered. In place of P on page 109 is 14.
• The New Testament: is numbered A-Ii and 1-32. The A starts on page 1 (also skips J) and the 1 starts on page 5. The numbering follows X Y Z Aa Bb Cc and for some reason skips the letter V and the letter W in this series.