Immensely significant first edition of Johnson’s remarkable A Dictionary of the English Language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. Printed by W. Strahan for J. and P. Knapton, London, 1755. Leatherbound hardcover, 11 x 17. Title pages in red and black ink, lexicon in double columns. Both volumes have been rebound in brown speckled leather, with stunning stamped gilt embellishments and titles, five raised bands to each spine, and marbled endpapers. Both volumes have soiling and discoloration to textblock edges; waterstains affecting portions of the edges and margins; scattered foxing; and small scattered tears to edges of individual pages. First dozen or so pages of volume one (including the title page) suffered significant damage and paper loss, and have been restored and remargined, as has the last page of the volume. Volume two also has several repaired and remargined pages (including the first and last several).
Universally recognized as one of the most influential books in the history of the English language, Johnson spent nine years compiling a comprehensive dictionary of words, with the important innovations of illustrating meanings through literary quotation and adding notes on usage. The dictionary contained 42,773 words and well over 100,000 quotations, with some favored authors being Shakespeare, Milton, Dryden, and Swift. This edition was inordinately expensive to produce and limited to just 2,000 copies. Johnson’s dictionary codified the English lexicon and the genius of his work remains impressive today.
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