Encyclopædia Britannica; or a Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature.
Edinburgh: A. Bell and C. Macfarquar, 1797. 20 volumes, including 2 volumes of the Supplement, 10 3/4 inches tall. An exceptionally fine set of the last 18th century edition with all the plates called for and in a most handsome Georgian full diced calf. The first edition was published in 1768 in 3 volumes, the second edition was in effect a supplement to the first edition. The third edition was published in parts from 1788 to 1797 which were gathered into 18 volumes with 542 plates and given title pages dated 1797 to all the volumes. A supplementary 2 volume set was published in 1801, having 50 copperplates A revised edition was published in 1803, which is what we have here. Dobson's Encyclopædia, the first American Encyclopædia, was almost entirely based on this third edition. It is rare to find the third edition in the condition this set is in, having spent its time in one country house, Rossie Priory, the home of the Lords Kinnaird, and with their bookplate. The superb binding is in full heavy 'Russia' diced calf with gilt raised bands, and delightful ornate centre tools to the panels. 2 gilt fillets frame the diced boards. There are some marks to the spines and the occasional thumb mark to the text but this is still a very clean and perfectly solid set with all 592 splendid copperplate engravings.