open in the center, one illustration is seen on the edges of the first half of the book, and another illustration is on the edge of the second half of the book. There are even examples of rare variations that require the book's pages to be pinched or tented in a certain way to see the image. History The earliest fore-edge paintings date as far back as the 10th century; these earliest paintings were symbolic designs, which may have been used for identification purposes, rather than decoration. Early English fore-edge paintings, believed to date to the 14th century, presented heraldic designs in gold and other colors. The first known example of a disappearing fore-edge painting (a painting not visible when the book is closed) dates back to 1649, while the earliest signed and dated fore-edge painting dates to 1653: a family coat of arms painted on a 1651 Bible. A legend regarding how hidden fore-edge painting on books first began states that a duchess and friend of Charles II of England would often borrow his books, sometimes forgetting to return them. As a result, the king commissioned the court painter, Sir Peter Lely, and the court bookbinder, Samuel Mearne, to devise a secret method to identify his books. They worked out a plan to paint a hidden image on the edges. When the king visited the duchess, he spotted a familiar-looking book on a shelf. As he was leaving, he took the book from the shelf to reclaim. The duchess protested, but the king fanned out the pages of the book to reveal the royal coat of arms. Research by Cyril Davenport (1848 - 1941), former Superintendent of Bookbinding at the British Museum gives some credibility to the legend above, naming Samuel Mearne the mastermind behind the "mysterious" art of fore-edge painting during his service as the bookbinder for King Charles II from 1660 to 1683. Further research by Davenport turned up instances of these early fore-edge paintings having been signed by "an artist of the name of Fletcher" (no first name given). Davenport reports a 1641 copy of Acts and Monuments bearing a fore-edge portrait of Charles II, signed by "Fletcher" as the earliest known example of the art. Further research, though, suggests that Davenport's focus on only works linked to royalty may have caused his oversight of prior fore-edge paintings outside the royal libraries. Carl J. Weber, fore-edge