Hands: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive)

More than just a five-digit grasping appendage, the extraordinary human hand is capable of a virtually infinite range of expression.

Here are over 1,100 images of hands, specially assembled by a noted graphic designer in response to the growing demand for inexpensive and royalty-free art depicting hands.Chosen for diversity and style as well as usability, these images were carefully culled from thousands of pages of nineteenth-century European and American books and periodicals, some of them very rare.

Many of the images represent the height of the wood engraver' s art — and as artists and designers know, for many purposes wood engravings are far superior to photographs.Here are large hands, small hands, lovely hands, and ugly hands.

There are hands resting and active and hands writing, sewing, demonstrating scientific experiments, using tools, performing magic tricks, applying first aid, playing parlor games, and even casting hand shadows on the wall.

Hands are displayed to demonstrate palmistry, anatomy, and sign language, or are simply poised to reveal superb form and dignity.