Books

London: printed by W. Strahan for J. and P. Knapton, 1755. Second edition, 2 volumes, folio, title pages printed in red and black; contemporary marbled boards neatly rebacked and retipped ca. early 20th century; red and green morocco labels on gilt-decorated spines; the green labels faded to brown, title page of volume II with slight streaky stain, also some dampstaining to the tops of the last dozen leaves in volume II; all else very good and sound. A handsome copy. The second edition is virtually identical to the first, except that the words "second edition" have been added to the title pages and volume II is dated 1756. Published in 165 weekly numbers. "Demand fell off as the work proceeded, and Strahan reduced the number of copies accordingly from just under 2,300 copies of the early numbers, to 768 copies of volume II. This figure is therefore the maximum number possible of complete copies, making this the smallest and possibly the scarcest of the folio editions ... There are…

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.