"Many are the incidents but faintly written in the pages of history, which would have forever remained dark and illegible, but for the light flashed on them by the torch of Heraldry. A shield of Arms, a Badge, or a Rebus depicted on a glass window, painted on a wall, carved on a corbel or monument, will frequently indicate, with unerring precision, the date to which such relics are ascribed, and whose memory they are intended to perpetuate, when all verbal descriptions are wanting; and the identity of many an old portrait rests on no other authority than that of a coat of arms painted at the side." This handy volume offers a short history of the art form, followed by an extensive catalogue of terms, descriptions and diagrams explaining how to render and decipher any family arms. Over 400 illustrations depict the common elements of heraldic design, with individual chapters devoted to the particulars of English, French and American Heraldry, as well as the use of Arms when preparing pedigree charts and other genealogical documents.