Johnson, Samuel

A Dictionary of the English Language. London: Printed by W. Strahan for J. and P. Knapton, T. and T. Longman, C. Hitch and L. Hawes, A. Millar, R. and J. Dodsley, 1755



2 volumes, folio (15 3/4 x 9 5/8 in.; 400 x 245 mm), titles printed in red and black; occasional slight dampstain in upper margins and some creases in first few leaves in each volume. Contemporary mottled calf, gilt-ruled border, spine gilt, red edges, preserved in buckram sleeves; scuffed, joints cracked, backstrips scraped.

Henry Vane, 3rd Baron Barnard, 1rst Earl of Darlington (bookplate) - William Graves Perry

Chapman & Hazen, p. 137; Grolier /English 50; PMM 201; Rothschild 1237;  cf. William B. Todd "Variants in Johnson's Dictionary, 1755," The Book Collector vol.14, number 2, (summer 1965), pp. 212-213.

First edition of Johnson's monumental work, with the text in the first state according to Todds points 1-3, 5-9, 12, 15, 17-21. 

The work took eight years to complete and has been praised as the first genuinely descriptive dictionary in any language. Noah Webster stated that Johnson's writings had, in philology, the effect which Newton's discoveries had in mathematics (quoted in PMM). He codified the spelling of English words, gave full definitions of all words and brought extensive examples from a wide range of authors.

William Graves Perry was the architect who worked on the restoration of Williamsburg, VA, and designed many Harvard buildings, including the Houghton Rare Book Library.

A handsome, clean copy.