• Address: Chantilly, VA 20153 (map)
• Date Posted: 11/04/09

This is a three volume exact facsimile of the First Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, originally published in Edinburgh “by a Society of Gentlemen in Scotland” in 1768-71. It was created by the publishers of the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1968 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the original publication.
This beautifully executed set is almost indistinguishable from the original. It is bound in dark brown leatherette with gilt spinal lettering, and faithfully reproduces all 2,659 original pages, including the 160 copperplate illustrations of the first edition, as well as the slight page foxing, natural age marks, watermarks, and cherished binding imperfections of the original.
With the first edition, the “Society of Gentlemen in Scotland” captured the sum total of human knowledge in 1768. No other books of the period give anything like the same comprehensive insight into the thoughts, attitudes and knowledge of the late eighteenth century. What was known then, and what was not, will fascinate, intrigue, surprise, and entertain readers for hours on end.
For example, the eighteenth century was very much a man’s world, and if you were to look at the entry for “Woman”, you would find it to be just six words long…”the female of Man See HOMO.”
You would discover that Virginia is “one of the British American colonies, bounded by the river Patowmack, which separates it from Maryland, on the north; by the Atlantic –ocean, on the east; by Carolina, on the south; and may be extended as far westward as we think fit.” Maryland, on the other hand, is just “one of the British plantations in North America.”
Each volume measures 8-1/2” x 10-1/2” with a combined 3-volume width of 7”. The set weighs approximately 14 pounds.
Seller accepts PayPal or personal check (no money order) for this purchase. Buyer must add $7.50 to the purchase price to cover shipping charges. Insurance will be an additional $2.60. Payment by personal check will require a delay in shipment until the check clears.