Books

London: for W. Strahan [et al.], 1773. 2 volumes, folio, pp. [56] plus unpaginated lexicon in double column; [2] plus unpaginated lexicon; titles printed in red and black, collated complete, but with the advertisement leaf C1 bound out of order (it follows d1) and with the addition of a facsimile of the Advertisement leaf in its proper place; contemporary full calf, recased and rebacked, recent red morocco labels on spine; a few scuff marks to the calf, edges rubbed, but generally a very good, sound copy. Early ownership stamps of Benjamin Stead. The Johnsonian scholar Gwin Kolb's copy with his book label laid in. The fourth edition ranks next to the first edition of 1755 in both importance and interest, representing the author's final and only corrected text. "Significant numbers of new illustrative texts were incorporated, while many others were dropped and replaced. [He] often flooded existing entries with new illustrations, sometimes accompanied by additional definitions or…

Samuel Johnson's 'A Dictionary of the English Language' is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. First published on 15 April 1755, the dictionary offered comprehensive definitions and illustrative examples of usage.