Lambeth Palace stolen books - in pictures

Showing the library in the Great Hall at Lambeth Palace in 1886, where in 1975, a librarian discovered that a number of rare books, dating back to the early 17th century, had been taken
Photograph: Lambeth Palace

The thief tried to remove proof of ownership by cutting out pages or removing the book covers. Archbishop Whitgift's coat of arms used to adorn the front of this tome. Photograph: Lambeth Palace

The ornate cover of a book of prints on the theme of the Eighty Years' War with the arms of Sir Francis Walsingham in the middle. It was thought that the thief had intended to sell the collection of stolen books, but they were found in this attic after his death Photograph: Lambeth Palace

An illustrated page from the Frenche chirurgerye by Jacques Guillemeau, 1598. The library had a list of 60 missing titles, but over 1400 were recovered, some dating back to 1610. Photograph: Lambeth Palace

A colour illustration of a world map in Daniel Cellarius's Speculum orbis terrarum (Antwerp, 1578) Photograph: Lambeth Palace

The books returned included engraved and illustrated volumes from Theodor de Bry's America Photograph: Lambeth Palace

The back leaves of a volume containing a quarto edition of Shakespeare's Henry IV part 2. If undamaged, it could be worth around £50,000 Photograph: Lambeth Palace