DIDEROT (Denis) - ALEMBERT (D'). - Lot 38

DIDEROT (Denis) - ALEMBERT (D'). Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une société de gens de lettres. New edition. Genève: Pellet, 1777-1779 [Tome 1 to 6, 8, 10, 17, 18, 22, 25, 31 to 34, volumes 2 and 3 of plates]; Genève: Jean-Léonard Pellet; Neufchâtel: Société typographique, 1778-1779 [tomes 7, 9, 11 to 16, 19 to 21, 23, 24, 26 to 30, 35, 36]; Neufchâtel: Société typographique, 1779 [Tome 1 of plates]; Lyon: Amable Leroy, 1780-1781 [Table]. - 45 volumes in-4, marbled basane, ornate ribbed spine, red edges (period binding). Adams, Bibliographie des œuvres de Denis Diderot, I, G6 et G7. New edition of Diderot and d'Alembert's famous Encyclopédie. This copy features a mixture of the two Genevan in-4 editions, respectively designated as "Nouvelle édition" and "Troisième édition". Such a combination, common at the time, can be explained by Pellet's editorial practices, as Adams (G6) points out:" To meet the demands of his customers, Pellet, who had launched his "new edition" in November 1777, began work on a "third edition" in January 1778, in collaboration with the Société typographique de Neuchâtel. The two editions, far from competing with each other, seem to have quickly made common cause, as almost all of today's copies, with their strictly contemporary uniform bindings, are made up of volumes from both editions. Apart from the title pages, there are no significant differences between the two series. In fact, they were printed, at least in part, on the same presses, which explains their close relationship: " This copy, in uniform binding, comprises 18 volumes from the Pellet edition and 21 volumes from the Genève et Neuchâtel edition. A rare addition are the 6 volumes of the Table analytique et raisonnée des matières contenues dans les XXXIX volumes in-quarto du dictionnaire des sciences, des arts et des métiers, published in Lyon by Amable Leroy in 1780 and 1781. These 6 volumes are bound identically to those of the Encyclopédie. The text volumes include a portrait of Diderot and d'Alembert, engraved by Cathelin after Cochin, as well as 9 of the 10 planned out-of-text fold-out tables, distributed as follows: Tome 1: Système figuré des connaissances humaines, Table de la mer Adriatique, Dimensions des affûts de campagne, Division générale de l'Afrique Tome 2: Division générale de l'Amérique Tome 7: État des biens affermés distingués par nature et quotité Tome 13: Division générale de l'Europe Tome 19: Tableau des mesures itinéraires anciennes Tome 26: Table du rapport des poids des principales places d'Europe.{The table in volume 3 is missing. The three volumes of plates comprise 435 plates, including 10 folding maps. The plate on Clockmaking, usually placed in volume 36, appears here at the end of the third volume. A contemporary manuscript leaflet, listing the authors of the articles, has been added at the head of volumes 2 to 10, 16, 17, 20, 24, 28 and 31. Volume 13 is a copy of the Pellet edition from which the false title and original title have been removed, the latter replaced by the title with the addresses of Geneva and Neufchâtel. Beautiful set although most of the bindings show rubbing and spotting, some extensive, some worm work and missing parts, notably to several headpieces. Last leaf of second volume doubled. Title of third volume and folio Zzzz4 torn but not missing. A few wormholes and very rare wet spots.