1824 Bibliotheca Britannica; Or A General Index to British and Foreign Literature

Description

First Edition, Leather Binding

First edition.

Bound in full calf.

Complete in four volumes.

A copious and comprehensive bibliographic work and index to British and foreign literature, one of the most remarkable examples of bibliographic material in the field of literature.

This work continues to be an invaluable resource for literary scholars worldwide, and is estimated to reference over 200,000 books, pamphlets, and periodicals.

The first two volumes contain alphabetical listings of over 40,000 authors along with brief biographies and bibliographic information. The latter two volumes contain encyclopaedic indexes to volumes one and two.

Compiled and written by Dr Robert Watt, a Scottish physician and bibliographer. Though Watt died in 1819, he lived to see the book mostly completed and printing begun. The support of Thomas Chalmers, James Ewing, George Jardine and Ralph Whitelaw was enlisted to ensure that publication would be completed. This complete edition was seen through the press by 1824, in four large quarto volumes.

Bound with the half title to each volume, with a list of subscribers and an 'Explanation of the Specimen' to the front of Volume I. 

With the bookplate of Edward Nicolas Hurt.