1798 · Philadelphia
by [Encyclopædia Britannica]
Philadelphia: Thomas Dobson, 1798. Eighteen volumes. With 542 copperplate engravings, some folding. Large quarto. Contemporary speckled tree calf, spines gilt, red morocco labels. Some edge wear and scuffing to the boards. Some hinges starting, mostly minor toning, occasional light foxing. Overall very good. An excellent set of the "greatly improved" first edition of the first encyclopedia printed in America. Dobson's ENCYCLOPÃDIA was profusely illustrated with over 500 copperplate engravings, constituting "the finest group of American engravings of the century" signifying the "coming of age of American book illustration," according to Wroth. The massive work is illustrated with 542 copperplates engraved by noted artists such as Robert Scott, James Thackara, E. Trenchard, the Smithers, John Vallance, James Akin, William Barker, Joseph Bowles, Francis Shallus, Henry W. Weston, Joseph Seymour, and others. The text comes from the third edition of the ENCYCLOPÃDIA BRITANNICA, with some revisions, namely the section on America, which was written by Jedidiah Morse. Interestingly, the entirety of the work is printed on paper manufactured in Pennsylvania. While the text largely follows the third edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, there is considerable added material mainly related to the Americas and the United States. Subscribers included Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton.
A landmark publication, not just the largest printing project undertaken in America at the time, but one that marked "the end of printing in America as a household craft and the beginning of its factory stage of development" (Wroth). Richard D. Arner has written an excellent and thorough description of the history and production of the work. EVANS 22486. WROTH, COLONIAL PRINTER, pp.291-95. SILVER, AMERICAN PRINTER, pp.153-5,4. LEHMANN-HAUPT 95. RINK 116. SABIN 22555. Richard D. Arner, DOBSON'S ENCYCLOPÃDIA: THE PUBLISHER, TEXT, AND PUBLICATION... (Philadelphia, 1991). (Inventory #: WRCAM52638A)
A landmark publication, not just the largest printing project undertaken in America at the time, but one that marked "the end of printing in America as a household craft and the beginning of its factory stage of development" (Wroth). Richard D. Arner has written an excellent and thorough description of the history and production of the work. EVANS 22486. WROTH, COLONIAL PRINTER, pp.291-95. SILVER, AMERICAN PRINTER, pp.153-5,4. LEHMANN-HAUPT 95. RINK 116. SABIN 22555. Richard D. Arner, DOBSON'S ENCYCLOPÃDIA: THE PUBLISHER, TEXT, AND PUBLICATION... (Philadelphia, 1991). (Inventory #: WRCAM52638A)