Denis Diderot 1713–1784 and Jean-Baptiste Le Rond d'Alembert 1717–1783
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire ...

Denis Diderot 1713–1784 and Jean-Baptiste Le Rond d'Alembert 1717–1783
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une société de gens de lettres, 1751–72
Arranged & published by M. (Denis) Diderot … & as for the mathematical part by M. (Jean) d'Alembert. 12 plate volumes, 17 text volumes, 4 supplement volumes and 2 index volumes, a total of 35 volumes. Paris and Amsterdam, Biasson, David l'ainé, Le Breton, Durand, Panckoucke and Robinet, 1751–1780. Folio. Plate volumes with 2795 copperplates (of which 296 double-page + 24 double-page and folded). Text volumes with 1 engraved frontispiece, 1 multi-folded copperplate and 7 folded (of which 1 double-page) tables. Marbled calfskin bindings of the period with gilt spines and spine labels (rubbed and bumped). Brunet II, 699. – Dibner 85. – Adams, Bibliographie des oeuvres de D. Diderot. – First edition of this epoch-making work, complete with all plates in 35 volumes. The Encyclopédie was originally intended to be a translation of E. Chambers' English work «Cyclopaedia, or an Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences». Intended for the French market, it was to be edited by Diderot (1713–1783). Under the collaboration of Diderot and Jean D'Alembert (1717–1783), who wrote the introduction and contributed the mathematical articles, the Encyclopédie soon developed into an independent work, which began with 1000 subscribers and finally became a huge success with 4000 printed copies, even outside France. This publication played an important role in the history of the French Enlightenment. Although its publication was forbidden by the French Attorney General and condemned by the Pope, the Parisian publisher and co-founder André François Le Breton continued to print the work until 1765. Afterwards, it was continued by Charles-Joseph Panckoucke until 1780. – Bindings with wormholes. Partially incorrectly paginated. Traces of use.