‎Cyclopaedia, or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences - Collection - UWDC (original) (raw)

Ephraim Chambers' acclaimed eighteenth-century classic, Cyclopaedia, or, An universal dictionary of arts and sciences, in two volumes, appeared in 1728. The supplement, also in two volumes, followed in 1753.

Noteworthy features of this distinguished work, the first edition, include the use of cross-references; the Dedication to the King, George II, and the compiler's "Plan of the Work," within the prefatory section, volume one.

Robert Lewis Collison reminds us that Chambers attained the distinction of "father of the modern encylopaedia throughout the world." (Encyclopaedias: Their History Throughout the Ages, 2d ed., p.103, Hafner, New York & London, 1966.)

The four volumes of the set are held in the Special Collections Department, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Scholars and others who study the encyclopaedia and/or the dictionary, the social sciences, the physical and natural sciences, and the humanities, including the book arts, will potentially find research interest. The Cyclopaedia is held in the Special Collections Department, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison.