Enclyclopædia Britannica (page 1/3)

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[picture: Front Cover of the 1770 Encylopædia 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 facsimile of this edition. The original was issued serially (as was common at the time) in sections called “numbers” from 1768 to 1771. It was created by Andrew Bell, an engraver, and William Smellie who edited many of the articles; it was printed by Colin Macfarquhar.

Title: Enclyclopædia Britannica

Author: Bell, Andrew

City: Edinburgh

Date: 1771

Total items: 15

Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.

Some sample images

[picture: Plate XLIII.---Astronomy.---Fig. 3.]

Plate XLIII.—Astronomy.—Fig. 3.

This diagram shows how (and why) the moon appears to grow and shrink at different times of the month. [more...]

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[picture: Plate XLII.---Astronomy: detail: sun and eclipses]

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...]

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[picture: Plate XCIX.---Hydrostatics.---Fig. 8. Cup of Tantalus (no letters)]

Plate XCIX.—Hydrostatics.—Fig. 8. Cup of Tantalus (no letters)

This is a version of the Cup of Tantalus diagram, without the letters that tie it to the text. [more...]

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[picture: Plate XLII.---Astronomy.]

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...]

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anatomy astrology astronomy bare feet book covers chains cogs colour cranes cups diagrams eclipses equinoxes faces goblets hydraulics labels lifting equipment machinery moon nudity planets pulleys pumps solstices spooky stars steampunk sun syphons water whaterwheels wheels zodiac

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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 facsimile of this edition. The original was issued serially (as was common at the time) in sections called “numbers” from 1768 to 1771. It was created by Andrew Bell, an engraver, and William Smellie who edited many of the articles; it was printed by Colin Macfarquhar.


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