The Cyclopaedia; or Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature (47 volume complete set, [41 + 6 plate volumes, includes Atlas])

Abraham Rees; Ephraim Chambers

Published by Philadelphia : Samuel F. Bradford, Murray, Fairman and Co. Peter A. Mesier, New-York; Blake et Cunningham, Boston; Cushing et Appleton, Hezekiah Howe, Charles Whipple, John W. Adams, Stephen Patten, Fielding Lucas, Baltimore; Daniel Rapine, Washington; Joseph Milligan, Georgetown; John A. Stewart, Alexandria; D. Henderson, Fredericksburg; Wm. H. Fitzwhylsonn, Richmond; Richard Cottom, John Hoff, William Williams, Savannah; Hobby et Bunce, Cramer, Spear, Eichbaum, James Palmer, 1805

About this Item

47 volumes. Includes the 6 plate and atlas volumes. 1st American edition, published 1806-1822. A massive set. 4to, 28 cm high. Over 1000 engraved plates (some folding or double-page) Atlas is collated; all 61 double-page maps present (28 x 43 cm). 4 of the maps are browned. Internally, generally clean, bright, and unmarked. Scattered spotting. Printed in two columns. An unsophisticated set. Bound in contemporary 1/4 black leather over marbled boards. A majority of the boards are detached and the leather spines are chipped with loss. All volumes come in modern archival folding boxes. Early signature of G. K. Richardson, 1840 on fep of one volume. Previously owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Abraham Rees (1743-1825) was a British clergyman best known for this, his outstanding encyclopedic work, The Cyclopaedia. (Initially published 1802-1820 in parts in Great Britain.) Rees' work not only featured theological and humanistic issues, but also extensive articles on mathematics and natural sciences. The Cyclopaedia, "is the richest work for technology of the period, with detailed text and handsome, carefully prepared plates." Ferguson, Eugene. "Contributions to Bibliography in the History of Technology (part II)". Technology and Culture 3.2 (1962): 169 p. "Rees was convinced that the important progress made during the last decades of the eighteenth century, especially in the fields of history, geography, geology, natural history, and the physical sciences senu lato, required a new type of encyclopedia with the accent on these fields as well as the still relatively undeveloped domains of biography and the history of sciences. The Cyclopaedia thus became one of the first works of its kind to be compiled with the help of 'persons eminently distinguished in these branches of science to which they had devoted their talents.'" (Taxon Vol. 35, No. 2 (1986), 452-453.) Some of the notable contributors to this work were Charles Bruney on music; Charles Koenig, Robert Bakewell, and John Farey on geology; John Dalton and Humphry Davy on chemistry; David Mushet on metallurgy; William Pearson on astronomy; James Edward Smith, William Wood, William Fitt Drake and William Woodville on botany. "Rees Cyclopaedia is one of the first works to interpret correctly William Smith's ideas on strata identification on the basis of fossil organisms." Ibid. The Cyclopaedia included other notable recent scientific breakthroughs, such as Robert Fulton's Cast Iron Aqueduct (described in his 1796 book) which would become his notable steam engine. See also Ferguson, E. "Cast-iron Aqueduct in Rees's "cyclopaedia". Technology and Culture 9.4 (1968): 597-600. Refs: BMC. vol 21, p. 287(1). Sabin 68634. Rink, E. Technical Americana, 121. Shaw et Shoemaker, 19907. Shaw et Shoemaker, 9234. International buyers, please note that this is an extremely large, heavy set. Shipping will be very expensive outside of the United States.

Seller Inventory # 1602180078

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Cyclopaedia; or Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature (47 volume complete set, [41 + 6 plate volumes, includes Atlas])
• Publisher: Philadelphia : Samuel F. Bradford, Murray, Fairman and Co. Peter A. Mesier, New-York; Blake et Cunningham, Boston; Cushing et Appleton, Hezekiah Howe, Charles Whipple, John W. Adams, Stephen Patten, Fielding Lucas, Baltimore; Daniel Rapine, Washington; Joseph Milligan, Georgetown; John A. Stewart, Alexandria; D. Henderson, Fredericksburg; Wm. H. Fitzwhylsonn, Richmond; Richard Cottom, John Hoff, William Williams, Savannah; Hobby et Bunce, Cramer, Spear, Eichbaum, James Palmer
• Publication Date: 1805
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fair
• Seller catalogs:
  • Science, Math, Space and Engineering