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:

Edward Zimmerman and Sarah E Boon daughter of G E Boon were united in the bonds of Matrimony the 2 Sept in the year of our Lord 1854 by the Rev M Simon Noll

BIRTHS:

• Edward Zimmerman was born 9 of Jan 1830 in the year of our Lord and was baptised. His parents names John Zimmerman and Catharine his wife
• Sarah E Boon was born 14 day of Sept 1835 in the year of our Lord and was baptised 24 day of Oct 1835 by the Rev M Seibert and parents J B Levengood and Elizabeth his wife. Her parents names were George Boon and Elizabeth Levengood.
• Mahlon Faber and Josephine Alice Zimmerman were united in the bonds of Matrimony by E.S. Henry in the year of our Lord Mar 1 1879
• Mahlon Faber was born Jul 30 1857
• Edward Henry Faber was born Jul 31 1879 and baptised Oct 14 1879
• Elsie Elisabeth Faber was born Mar 26 1881 and baptised Jul 16 1881
• William Benjamin Faber was born Jan 17 1883 and baptised Jul 24 1883
• Magdalena Catharine Elizabeth Zimmerman was born Dec 10 1856 in the Borough of Pine Grove Schury Hill County Pennsylvania and was baptised on 1 Jan 1854 by Mr Henry New Godmother was magdalena Levengood. Her father was Edward Zimmerman and her mother was Sarah Elizabeth Zimmerman.
• Josephine Alice Zimmerman daughter if Edward Zimmerman and Sarah his wife was born Jan 17 1861 and baptised 31 mar 1861 by Rev Croummer. Her Godmother was Magdalena Levengood

DEATHS:

• Magdalena Catharine Elizabeth Zimmerman died Feb 20 1860. He text was Luke 8:52

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.