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You are here: CollectionsOnline  /  Cyclopædia: or, an universal dictionary of arts and sciences. Containing an explanation of the terms, and an account of the several subjects, in the liberal and mechanical arts, and the sciences, human and divine. Intended as a course of ancient and modern learning. By E. Chambers, F.R.S. With the supplement, and modern improvements, incorporated in one alphabet. By Abraham Rees, D.D. In four volumes. ...
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CHAMBERS, Ephraim (ca. 1680--1740)
Cyclopædia: or, an universal dictionary of arts and sciences. Containing an explanation of the terms, and an account of the several subjects, in the liberal and mechanical arts, and the sciences, human and divine. Intended as a course of ancient and modern learning. By E. Chambers, F.R.S. With the supplement, and modern improvements, incorporated in one alphabet. By Abraham Rees, D.D. In four volumes. ...
London (Place), printed for J. F. and C. Rivington, A. Hamilton, T. Payne and Son, W. Owen, B. White [and 24 others in London],, 1779--86.
5 vols ; 43.2 cm. (2º)
I: [2], ii, iv, [2], xxvii, [1], [1064] p., engr. frontis. : tables
II: [1230] p. : tables
III: [1206] p., [1] fold. leaf : tables
IV: [1386] p. : tables
[V]: [118] p., [1] fold. leaf, [147] pl. (2 fold.)

Unpaginated after the preliminaries. Volume [V] contains 'Addenda, Index, Arrangement of the Plates, and the Plates'. Announced in a prospectus of 1726 and inspired by the example of John Harris's Lexicon technicum of 1704 which had reached its fourth edition in 1725, Chambers' first edition appeared in 1728. The supplement first appeared separately in 1753 in the continuation after Chambers's death by George Lewis Scott. The editions of this work revised by Abraham Rees (from the edition of 1778) all appear to have been issued in parts and individual volumes in all sets often vary in their dates and imprint, making it difficult to identify editions. In this mixed set, possibly a composite of ESTC t136234 and t136235, vol. I is dated 1786, vol. II, 1779, vol. III, 1781, vol. IV, 1783 and vol. 5, 1786. The frontispiece in vol. I is T. Cook after Dodd with publication line dated 'Jany. 3d. 1778'. Volume III includes a broadside leaf of 'A Specimen of Printing Types. ... cast in the Letter Foundery of Dr. Alex. Wilson and Sons. Glasgow. 1783.' (also issued separately? see ESTC t17114) with directions to the binder to place it 'in the middle of the Sheet 13 A, Vol. III. facing Article Printing, method of.'; two further specimens of printing type are bound in vol. V after the plates of 'Pneumatics' but not listed in the 'Arrangement and Analysis of the Plates', one by William Caslon ([8] pp.) including a specimen letter dated 'Liverpool, May 2, 1785' (see ESTC t49590) and one by Joseph Fry and Sons dated 1785 (see ESTC t117880). There are four plates of 'Anatomy' (rather than one as listed in the 'Arrangement and Analysis of the Plates') with four pages of accompanying letterpress descriptions; one folded plate of 'Architecture'; and an accompanying leaf of letterpress to the plates of 'Ship'. Plates XI and XII of 'Botany' are misnumbered III and IV. ESTC t136234/5; Alston III.546; Printing and the Mind of Man, 171.

Copy Notes Purchased from Boone on 9 June 1804 for £7 7s. [i.e. at a discount]. (Priv. Corr. E.1.4). Inscribed by Boone in pencil on second free-endpaper of vol. I 5 Vols £8=8s=0 / Plates fine and with his codes ffx and ggx, and in another hand in ink on the rear free-endpaper 5 Vol. containing 418 Numbers / Wingrave's Binding / Paper added to the end with cyphers presumably indicating the prices paid. Volume I is extra-illustrated with three plates (otherwise frontispieces) tipped in. The first (oblong 23 x 37 cm) is headed 'Frontispiece to the Royal Encyclopædia' and at bottom 'A General Display of the Arts and Sciences' and is signed 'Le Clerc pinxt. Grignion sculp.' The second (40.7 cm) is headed 'Frontispiece To Howard's New Royal Cyclopædia, or Grand Circle of the Arts & Sciences' with an 'Explanation' [6 lines] beneath having the imprint 'Published ... by Alexr Hogg, London'. The New Royal Cyclopædia 'printed for Alex. Hogg ...' was published in parts having 'The King's royal licence and protection' dated 12th September 1788' (see Alston, III.567). The third (41.9 cm) is a later version of the frontispiece to the Cyclopaedia dated '1st. Feby. 1788' engraved by Heath after Stothard. Loosely inserted between the printing specimens of Caslon and Fry and Sons in vol. V are two additional folio leaves of 'Frys' Specimens' with page numbers 5--8, and a slip of paper inscribed in ink the opposite 2 Sheet Specimen of Fry and Son's Printing / Types was intended to be inserted in the work, but (as I have / been informed) was refused admittance by the proprietors, on / account of the remarks on Caslon's types subjoined to it, and / the large single sheet substituted in its stead; but as the other / contains a more ample display of Fry's types, I have added / it, notwithstanding the prohibition. This latter item may be related to a copy of pp. [1]--4 of a specimen of Fry's types preserved in a file of trade circulars in Soane's archive (q.v.). In the 'Arrangement and Analysis of the Plates', the figure numbers of the 'Anatomy' plate are crossed out and renumbered I--IV with a note on the first publi-/cation of this work / these 4 parts were / all included in one / plate, but that/being much worn, / four new ones / were engraved, / which [I?] procured / in its stead, and the total number of plates is added up at the end. Other pencil annotations in vol. V to the entry 'Cortex' in the addenda, and fig. 74 in plate 2* of 'Astronomy'. Library shelf-mark D.2.5 in pencil on versos of first free-endpapers.

Binding Late C18th or early C19th diced russia calf, neo-classical gilt roll-tooled borders alternating Greek key and mandorla, gilt double-ruled and Greek key roll-tooled spines with eight-pointed star ornament, gilt-lettered spine-title, marbled edges and endpapers. Eighty leaves of blank paper bound in at the end of vol. V (see copy notes above).

Reference Number 3907

Additional Names Thomas Boone; Scott, George Lewis (1708--1780); Rees, Abraham (1743--1825); Howard, George Selby; J.$Wingrave, bookbinder; Fry, Joseph (1728--1787); Caslon, William (1754--1833); Joseph Fry and Sons, letter-founders; Alexander Wilson and Sons, type-founders


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