The Encyclopaedic Dictionary in the Eighteenth Century: A society of gentlemen : Encyclopaedia Britannica

Of the encyclopaedic dictionaries examined in this series, only the Encyclopaedia Britannica is still published today, having been in print for over 200 years. The first edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica as we know it, was published in Edinburgh in 1771 by Andrew Bell, Colin Macfarquhar and William Smellie, together with 'A Society of Gentlemen'.
The original concept for the work was stimulated by the appearance in France between 1751 and 1772 of the Encyclopédie of Diderot and D'Alembert. The Encyclopédie introduced two new concepts which were employed in the Encyclopaedia Britannica: the introduction of 'crafts' in addition to the arts and sciences, and the incorporation of extended articles or Treatises.
This volume reproduces over 500 entries on architecture, arts and crafts found in the first edition. These include the full texts of the specialized writings on Architecture, Fortification, Gardening and Perspective.