The first printed edition, in Greek and Latin, was published in Paris in 1657 with illustrative notes by Erasmus Bartholinus.

From 1912 to 1924, it included not only lists of names, but also brief illustrative notes on departments of the Roman Curia and on certain posts within the papal court, a practice to which it returned in 1940.

I adored variety and range, I cherished human accidents, the illustrative note; I wanted to characterise closely, and the thing in the world I most hated was the danger of being ridden by a type.

The original work, with illustrative notes, edited by John Small, was reprinted at Edinburgh in 1883.

He published in 1837 a students' edition of the Greek Testament, and an edition of the Greek and Latin texts of the History of the Jewish War, by Josephus, with illustrative notes.

'Nugæ Antiquæ: a miscellaneous Collection of Papers by Sir John Harington, selected by the late Henry Harington, and newly arranged, with illustrative notes,' 1804, 2 vols.

With notes illustrative of the ship-pestilence of that fatal year.

An older meaning of the word refers not to the text itself but to the assortment of illustrative notes printed with it: 'an edition of a text (usually Latin or Greek) which includes annotations by a variety of critics and commentators'.

'The Modern Traveller, with illustrative notes,' 4 vols.

R. H. Shepherd, ed., The Plays and Poems of Henry Glapthorne: Now first collected with illustrative notes and a memoir of the Author, 2 volumes, London, J. Pearson, 1874.