Enclyclopædia Britannica

Some of the copper-plate engravings by Andrew Bell that appeared in the first edition of the “Enclyclopædia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan, in which The different Sciences and Arts are digested into distinct Treatises or Systems; amd The various Technical Terms, &c. are explained as they occur in the order of the Alphabet.”

I have a fac simile of this edition. The original was issued serially in sections (as was common at the time) from 1768 to 1771.

Plate XV.—Anatomy.

A naked man is shown, without his skin, so that the muscles can be seen, in order to teach anatomy. [more...]

Plate XLII.—Astronomy.

The purpose of the four interwoven figures here is to explain how an eclipse of Jupiter’s satellites (or moons) works. I will scan the details on request. These are beautifully-engraved [...] [more...]

Plate XLII.—Astronomy: detail: antique star engraving

A copper-plate engraving representing a star from a diagram explaining astronomy; you can also see the full diagram. [more...]

Plate XLII.—Astronomy: detail: sun and eclipses

A diagram with the sun in the middle, complete with a face, and showing the illumination of the earth at varoius times of the year, marked by month and zodiac sign. [...]the sun, and also the full diagram. [more...]

Plate XLII.—Astronomy: detail: the face of the sun.

This diagram, taken from plate XLII on eclipses, shows the sun as an eight-pointed star with a face in the middle, including eyes, nose and mouth! (Obviously the sun does not have a beard, since the hair would burn away!) [more...]

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