Re: Collecting Dictionaries

ER Lyon,

In answer to your questions:

In September 2000, on ebay, I paid $250 for my 1785 Johnson's Dictionary

In January 2004, on ebay, I paid $61 for Vol I of the 1770 abridged
edition of Johnson's Dictionary. The front cover was detached, which I
still have to repair, but on the front pastedown was the bookseller's
ticket of John Dunlap. the printer of the Declaration of Independence as
well as the Constitution of the United States of America.

In January 2004, I acquired Vol II of the 1770 abridged edition of
Johnson's Dictionary for $112 from a UK bookseller.

I can't remember how much I paid for the Bailey Dictionary in December
2002, but it was for less than $50 because of its condition.

My Ogilvie set is the Imperial Dictionary published by Blackie & Son. I
paid about twenty quid for it at a book fair in England in the late
1980s. Annandale increased the number of word entries from 100,000 to
130,000, consisting primarily of terms pertaining to science, technology
and the arts. Blackie inserted many illustrations in the dictionary,
many of which, according to Annandale, were included in the later
Webster dictionaries. One feature I like is the quotations which
ilustrate the usage of the words. One drawback to my set is that the
ilustrations are iin black and white; later editions contained color
illustrations.

I paid $75 for the one-volume OED at an estate sale about five years
ago.

As for bookbinding, I have the reference books, the know-how, and most
of the equipment. I have two sewing frames, a finishing press,a nipping
press, and an old Franklin Hot Stamping Machine for titling. What I
would like to have is a bookbinder's stove and all the finsihing tools
to decorate my books and to make the titling look more professional. I
prefer David Muir's "Binding and Repairing Books by Hand, first
published by Arco in 1978. Afriend of mine built the sewing frames and
finishing press, using the illustrations in Muir's book. I also
recommend Aldren Watson's "Hand Bookbinding," published by Reinhold in
1963. A few words of advice on taking up bookbinding: practice on
inexpensive books first.

You definitely have way more dictionaries than I do. I've never had
more than a hundred of them, and have scaled it down to less than
twenty. One Webster dictionary I kept was "Walker and Webster Combined
in a Dictionary of the English Language, London,1864. There is a
catalogue of English dictionaries in the appendix. Another section
lists words of doubtful or various orthography. I'll give a few
examples with the first word being the authorized version and the second
word being questionable by some UK philologists of the 1860s. Some of
the words are still spelled differently on oboth sides of the Atlantic:
Abbey, Abby. Accessary, Accessory. Ache, Ake. Achieve, Atchieve.
Adopter, Adapter. Afraid, Affraid. Aught, Ought.

Btw, I do have a copy of Crabb's English Synonyms. When I grabbed it
off the shelf this morning, I remembered that there was a signed poem
written on the front pastdown by one Scottie McKenzie Frazier. I
finally researched her today and discovered that Scottie Mckenzie
Frazier (1884-1964) was a graduate of Columbia University, a poet, a
teacher and a newspaper columnist. She was the author of three books:
"Fagots of Fancy: in Free Verse," 1920, "Things That Are, 1935, and "As
We See It," 1935. the latter was a daily column she worte for the
Dotham Eagle in Alabama, I believe. Anyway, here is her free verse
poem:

Smiles

"If you can't smile don't go in. Better than medicine is the smile of
friendship to those who are set apart by their infirmities. A Smile of
cheer & helpfulness is apassport to the whole world. Who is beyond the
ministry of a kindly smile? Ll- is a tonic to the discouraged."

The poem is written in script. The first word of the last sentence has
two Ls, the first one capitalized, and the second one followed by a dash
or hyphen. I haven't a clue what it stands for. Love? I tried
ordering her book, " Fagots of Fancy," but it has already been sold.

Happy New Year everybody!

Jerry Morris


xerlome@xxxxxxxxx (xerlome)
Jerry Morris wrote:
I have the 1785 sixth edition of Johnson's Dictionary in two volumes
quarto. [etc]
What did these cost you ? I accept the possibility that i will never
have originals of these and other antique books. Actually, i think i
would prefer to have facsimiles which don't need to be handled with
excruciating care. I hate to open volume one of my 1854 Imperial because
i know the binding will come apart eventually. I don't know that any
facsimile was ever made of this.
need to disband and resew the Bailey Dictionary since it is split down
the middle.
Do you know how to repair old books ? I want to learn this, but
independently, on my own. Do you know any info source that would allow
me to do this ?
I have the one-volume OED in microprint
I am put off by the cost of the highly concentrated one-volume 2nd
edition, but i believe the three volume (which includes the 1st edition
plus all the supplements up to 1987) contains virtually all the data,
though in less convenient form.   I am supposing that not much was
added when they reformatted it for the 2nd edition in 1989. Perhaps i'm
wrong.
I also have the three small volumes called the "Additions Series"
published in the 90s. I don' t know of any further updates in printed
form.
    a circa 1880 four-volume Ogilvie Dictionary edited by
Annandale.
Is it the Imperial ? I know there were some concise editions, also. If
it is the Imperial, it was published in 1882, American edition in
1883.   I recall reading somewhere that Annandale removed some
material from the original, such as rare and obsolete words, although he
also expanded it and added half again the number of illustrations. One
thing i like to do is compare sample segments of dictionaries to see how
they differ. I don't know of any reference which offers such analyses,
so i do it myself.
Down the road I will pick up Webster's 1807 Dictionary
The "Compendious."   I have the facsimile. I suppose you want the
original. It's curious as a precurser to the "American Dictionary", but
i wouldn't have spent much money for it because it is of minimal value
as a reference: Lists of words with one word definitions.
The sheer
number of grammars made me take a step back and reconsider whether
collecting grammars would be one of my primary collecting interests. One
could say the same for dictionaries; The Cordell Collection contained
over three thousand dictionaries.
Do you know what are the most important ones which cover the ground?
That's how i approch the dictionaries. Once i get the over-all major
ones, all i really care about is the ones which add vocabulary and
information, primarily specialized dictionaries.
You probably have Crabb's English Synonyms. I enjoy that and the like.
If you ever have any questions about Johnson Dictionaries
What i really want to know is the least costly way for me to get any
decent edition the has the complete work.
ER Lyon

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