1828 WEBSTER’S AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIRST EDITION, VOLUME 1

Description

PRESENTING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION,EXQUISITE, GENUINE 200 YEAR OLD  1828 NOAH WEBSTER HISTORIC AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:  FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST FULL AMERICAN DICTIONARY ! PUBLISHED BY S. CONVERSE, NEW  YORK AND  PRINTED BY HEZEKIAH HOWE, NEW HAVEN.  VOLUME 1 OF 2 ONLY CONTAINING THE LETTERS A THROUGH I . Large quarto measuring 11″ x 9 1/2″ x 3″ overall. The binding appears to be original in medium brown diced calf. Rubbed and bumped, spine with minor loss as pictured. Both outer joints are cracked however, they are unsplit and the covers are holding firmly. Grolier 100 #36, Sabin #102335, Skeel #583, PMM #291, Printing and the Mind of Man #291.

COLLATION AND CONDITION:

FRONTISPIECE ENGRAVING [1], BROADSIDE GENERAL TITLE PAGE [1], DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT MEMORANDUM [1], WEBSTER’S PREFACE (3 pages), INTRODUCTION (A4- G2, 46 pages), A PHILOSOPHICAL AND PRACTICAL GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ADVERTISEMENT (4 pages),  A PHILOSOPHICAL AND PRACTICAL GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (H- K2, 29 pages), DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS (3 pages), AN AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (numerically signed 1- 114, complete, ending with the word “IVYED”)

The paper in this book is remarkably clean and bright with very minimal soiling, staining and foxing as so often found with this edition and books from this era. The untrimmed margins are wide all around. The gutters are clean, the corners are square and strong and the page edges are straight. The text block is square and unshaken. There is some looseness in the first three signatures or so. They are well attached to the back bone not causing an issue, but worth the mention for disclosure.

IN 1800, NOAH WEBSTER BEGAN HIS WORK TO CREATE THE FIRST AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. HE UPDATED THE SPELLINGS OF MANY WORDS THAT WERE BRITISH IN NATURE SUCH AS THEATRE TO THEATER ETC. IN 1806 WEBSTER PUBLISHED A POCKET DICTIONARY OF JUST 5000 WORDS IN SINGLE LINE ENTRIES FOR THE MERCHANT, THE STUDENT AND THE TRAVELLER. IN 1807, HE PUBLISHED AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THIS SMALL DICTIONARY FOR SCHOOLS. FINALLY, IN 1828, HE FINISHED HIS WORK CREATING THE FIRST FULL AMERICAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY WITH 70,000 ENTRIES WHICH HE WROTE ENTIRELY HIMSELF.

 ONE OF THE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD MASS EDUCATION, HIS DICTIONARY PLACED CORRECT SPELLINGS AND USAGE WITHIN THE REACH OF EVERYMAN.