WEBSTER, NOAH. An American Dictionary of the English Language. New York: S. Converse, 1828. Engraved frontispiece portrait by A. H. Durand after S. F. B. Morse. 2 volumes, large 4to, original drab boards, some wear to corners, uncut, rebacked with later quarter linen (remants of original backstrip and printed spine label laid down on vol. 1); frontispiece a little foxed, clean horizontal tear crossing text completely on 48[3] in vol. 1 and 57[3] (and partially 57[4]) in vol. 2, occasional light foxing, minor light dampstaining along some lower margin extremes in vol. 2. FIRST EDITION of the quarto unabridged dictionary (preceded by the Compendious Dictionary, 1806, and an abridgement of this for schools in 1807), without the advertisement leaf in Volume 1. Sabin 102335; Grolier/American 36; Printing and the Mind of Man 291. (2)

Details

WEBSTER, NOAH. An American Dictionary of the English Language. New York: S. Converse, 1828. Engraved frontispiece portrait by A. H. Durand after S. F. B. Morse. 2 volumes, large 4to, original drab boards, some wear to corners, uncut, rebacked with later quarter linen (remants of original backstrip and printed spine label laid down on vol. 1); frontispiece a little foxed, clean horizontal tear crossing text completely on 48[3] in vol. 1 and 57[3] (and partially 57[4]) in vol. 2, occasional light foxing, minor light dampstaining along some lower margin extremes in vol. 2. FIRST EDITION of the quarto unabridged dictionary (preceded by the Compendious Dictionary, 1806, and an abridgement of this for schools in 1807), without the advertisement leaf in Volume 1. Sabin 102335; Grolier/American 36; Printing and the Mind of Man 291. (2)

Lot Essay

"...the standard English dictionary in the United States...Webster succeeded in breaking the fetters imposed upon American English by Dr. Johnson, to the ultimate benefit of the living languages of both countries."--Printing and the Mind of Man 291.

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