Encyclopædia, or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature: Constructed on a Plan, by Which the Different Sciences and Arts are Digested into the Form of Distinct Treatises or Systems
Encyclopædia, or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature | |
Title page from Encyclopædia, or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature, volume eight, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary. | |
Editor | Thomas Dobson |
Published | Philadelphia: Printed by Thomas Dobson |
Date | 1798 |
Edition | First American from third English |
Language | English |
Volumes | 18 volume set |
Desc. | 4to (28 cm.) |
Location | Shelf A-2 |
Shelf A-3 |
Thomas Dobson (c.1751 – 1823) was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, but immigrated to the United States with his wife and three daughters in 1783. Dobson operated a thriving printing shop in Philadelphia. He printed many notable works, but his claim to fame was sealed by his publication of the first American encyclopedia.
Dobson's Encyclopaedia was largely a copy of the third edition Encyclopædia Britannica, which had been published the year before, but Dobson sought to dispel what he perceived to be a British bias. The most notable differences regarded American geography and history, such as the surrender of the British in the American Revolution.[1] The encyclopedia was a hit amongst American scholars, and purchasers included Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and George Wythe.[2]
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
Listed in the Jefferson Inventory of Wythe's Library as "American Encyclopedia. 18.v. 4to." and kept by Thomas Jefferson. He later sold a copy of the 1798 edition of Encyclopaedia, or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature to the Library of Congress, but it no longer exists to verify Wythe's prior ownership.[3] Both George Wythe's Library[4] on LibraryThing and the Brown Bibliography[5] suggests the copy Jefferson sold may have been Wythe's copy. Brown also notes a second copy of this set owned by Jefferson and sold by his grandson, Francis Eppes in 1873. The Wolf Law Library purchased a copy of the 1798 edition.
Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy
Bound in original full calf with black and red spine compartments. Bears the owner's signature of Josiah Calef on the title page of volume eight. Purchased from Charles Thomas.
Images of the library's copy of this book are available on Flickr. View the record for this book in William & Mary's online catalog.
Full text
- Volume I (94MB PDF)
- Volume II (95MB PDF)
- Volume III (88MB PDF)
- Volume IV (88MB PDF)
- Volume V (90MB PDF)
- Volume VI (96MB PDF)
- Volume VII (90MB PDF)
- Volume VIII (89MB PDF)
- Volume IX (91MB PDF)
- Volume X (84MB PDF)
- Volume XI (92MB PDF)
- Volume XII (87MB PDF)
- Volume XIII (91MB PDF)
- Volume XIV (88MB PDF)
- Volume XV (93MB PDF)
- Volume XVI (92MB PDF)
- Volume XVII (96MB PDF)
- Volume XVIII (125MB PDF)
See also
References
- ↑ Robert Arner, Dobson's Encyclopaedia: The Publisher, Text, and Publication of America's First Britannica, 1789-1803 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991).
- ↑ James M. Wells, The Circle of Knowledge: Encyclopaedias Past and Present (Chicago: Newberry Library, 1968).
- ↑ E. Millicent Sowerby, Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 5:150-151 [no.4891].
- ↑ LibraryThing, s.v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on April 21, 2013.
- ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433.