Details
DIDEROT, Denis (1713-1784) and Jean le Rond d'ALEMBERT (1717-1783), editors. Encyclopdie, ou dictionnaire raisonn des sciences, des arts et des mtiers, par une socit de gens de lettres. [I-XVII] "Paris" or "Neuchtel" [but Geneva, 1771-1774]. -- Recueil de planches, sur les sciences, les arts libraux, et les arts mchaniques, avec leur explication. [I-XI] "Paris" [but vols. II-XI: Geneva, 1771-1776]. -- Supplment l'Encyclopdie, ou Dictionnaire raisonn des sciences, des arts et des mtiers, par une socit de gens de lettres. Edited by Jean Baptiste Ren Robinet (1735-1820). [I-IV] Amsterdam: M.M. Rey, 1776-1777. -- Suite du recueil de planches, sur les sciences, les arts libraux, et les arts mchaniques, avec leur explication. Paris: Panckoucke, Stoupe, Brunet; Amsterdam: M.M. Rey, 1777. -- Table analytique et raisonne des matieres contenues dans les XXXIII volumes in-folio du Dictionnaire ... et dans son supplment. Edited by Pierre Mouchon (1733-1797). [I-II] Paris: Panckoucke; Amsterdam: Marc-Michel Rey, 1780.
35 volumes, 2o (400 x 253 mm. [Table vols.: 387 x 245 mm]). Collation and contents as in Lough and Schwab. Engraved frontispiece by B.L. Prvost after C.N. Cochin; 4 engraved portraits of Diderot, d'Alembert, Voltaire and Montesquieu; 2,791 engraved plates (about 300 double-page or larger and 50 folding); 1 large folding engraved Tree of Knowledge plate in Table, vol. 1; 7 folding letterpress tables. The numbers of plates given on the title pages total 3,129 because double, triple or quadruple folding plates are counted as 2, 3 or 4. (Without the double plate "Economie rustique, Pressoirs II" in plate vol. I, light worming to upper blank margins of vol. IX of the plates, and the plates in the Suite vol., occasional browning, a few small paper flaws to blank margins, a number of tmoins at corners folded down during binding.) Contemporary French brown mottled calf, spines gilt in seven compartments with raised bands, red morocco lettering-pieces in the second and third, the others with repeat pattern of small tools centred around a flower spray; Table analytique: contemporary French light brown figured calf, spines gilt in seven compartments, red morocco lettering-piece in the second, citron in the third, the others with repeat decoration (similar to other volumes in the set) centered around a flower-spray tool.
A VERY FINE SET OF A MIXED EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST SPLENDID PRODUCTS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND ONE OF THE GREAT LANDMARKS OF WESTERN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY, IN A PRISTINE CONTEMPORARY BINDING, AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
"A monument in the history of European thought; the acme of the age of reason; a prime motive force in undermining the Ancien rgime and in heralding the French Revolution; a permanent source for all aspects of eighteenth-century civilization" (PMM). "The greatest encyclopedia of science, which had widespread effect in establishing uniformity of terminology, concept, and procedure in all fields of science and technology" (Grolier/Horblit). The majority of the 71,818 entries were written by the editors, Diderot and D'Alembert, followed by Baron d'Holbach, who contributed about 400 articles. Among the other collaborators were Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Buffon, Marmontel, Concorcet, Necker and Turgot.
The first seven volumes of the Encyclopdie were published in Paris under a royal privilege. After this was withdrawn in 1759 printing continued clandestinely, and the last ten volumes were issued under the false imprint of Samuel Faulche, Neuchtel. The eleven volumes of plates, not being considered subversive, were published in Paris. In 1770 the publisher Charles Panckoucke attempted to reprint the work in Paris, but found his efforts frustrated by the opposition of the French government. He therefore arranged to have his new edition printed in Geneva. The seventeen volumes of text produced there were designed to resemble the first edition, even imitating the original imprints. There are, nevertheless, minor differences of setting and typography. The first volume of plates for the second or what has become known as the "Geneva" edition, was printed in 1770 in Paris, but the remaining volumes were produced in Geneva. Although Panckoucke had hoped to reuse the copperplates prepared for the first edition, most of them had to be redone. The subjects are the same, but in some instances the images are reversed. The four volumes of the supplement to the Encyclopdie were published in one edition only, as was the supplemental volume of plates and the Table analytique.
The present set has all the points of the Geneva edition, as set forth by Schwab and Lough. In addition the sequence of plates at the end of plate vol. IX, "Tapisserie de Basse Lisse des Gobelins" has an additional four plates, nos. XV-XVIII, not noted by Schwab. The four portraits found in this set were executed in Paris by G.L. Henriquez in 1777, contemporaneously with the Supplment, and are bound into at least one other copy of the Geneva edition (cf. Schwab, I, p. 108).
Because of uncertainty as to the ideal plate count of the Geneva edition, this copy is sold not subject to return. Cf. Grolier/Horblit 25b; John Lough, Essays on the Encyclopdie of Diderot and D'Alembert, London 1968; cf. PMM 200; Richard N. Schwab, W.E. Rex, and J. Lough, Inventory of Diderot's Encyclopdie, I (1971), VII (1984) [Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century 80, 223]. (35)
35 volumes, 2
A VERY FINE SET OF A MIXED EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST SPLENDID PRODUCTS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND ONE OF THE GREAT LANDMARKS OF WESTERN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY, IN A PRISTINE CONTEMPORARY BINDING, AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
"A monument in the history of European thought; the acme of the age of reason; a prime motive force in undermining the Ancien rgime and in heralding the French Revolution; a permanent source for all aspects of eighteenth-century civilization" (PMM). "The greatest encyclopedia of science, which had widespread effect in establishing uniformity of terminology, concept, and procedure in all fields of science and technology" (Grolier/Horblit). The majority of the 71,818 entries were written by the editors, Diderot and D'Alembert, followed by Baron d'Holbach, who contributed about 400 articles. Among the other collaborators were Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Buffon, Marmontel, Concorcet, Necker and Turgot.
The first seven volumes of the Encyclopdie were published in Paris under a royal privilege. After this was withdrawn in 1759 printing continued clandestinely, and the last ten volumes were issued under the false imprint of Samuel Faulche, Neuchtel. The eleven volumes of plates, not being considered subversive, were published in Paris. In 1770 the publisher Charles Panckoucke attempted to reprint the work in Paris, but found his efforts frustrated by the opposition of the French government. He therefore arranged to have his new edition printed in Geneva. The seventeen volumes of text produced there were designed to resemble the first edition, even imitating the original imprints. There are, nevertheless, minor differences of setting and typography. The first volume of plates for the second or what has become known as the "Geneva" edition, was printed in 1770 in Paris, but the remaining volumes were produced in Geneva. Although Panckoucke had hoped to reuse the copperplates prepared for the first edition, most of them had to be redone. The subjects are the same, but in some instances the images are reversed. The four volumes of the supplement to the Encyclopdie were published in one edition only, as was the supplemental volume of plates and the Table analytique.
The present set has all the points of the Geneva edition, as set forth by Schwab and Lough. In addition the sequence of plates at the end of plate vol. IX, "Tapisserie de Basse Lisse des Gobelins" has an additional four plates, nos. XV-XVIII, not noted by Schwab. The four portraits found in this set were executed in Paris by G.L. Henriquez in 1777, contemporaneously with the Supplment, and are bound into at least one other copy of the Geneva edition (cf. Schwab, I, p. 108).
Because of uncertainty as to the ideal plate count of the Geneva edition, this copy is sold not subject to return. Cf. Grolier/Horblit 25b; John Lough, Essays on the Encyclopdie of Diderot and D'Alembert, London 1968; cf. PMM 200; Richard N. Schwab, W.E. Rex, and J. Lough, Inventory of Diderot's Encyclopdie, I (1971), VII (1984) [Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century 80, 223]. (35)