Rees Cyclopaedia 41 volumes c.1810 monumental leather set

Issued Philadelphia by Samuel Bradford (no date, but c.1808-10).

First American Edition, Revised, corrected, enlarged and adapted to this country. Forty-one volumes. Copper engraved portrait frontis.

Excellent complete set of this monumental work covering every topic one could think of. In 41 19th century full calf leather bindings, smooth spines gilt ruled with contrasting leather gilt title labels to two compartments.

The suite of c.1000 engraved plates for this set were often bound separately in supplemental plate volumes which are not present with this set. The plates have not been removed from the set, they were never bound in. The plates by themselves are worth more than the set of books, set is priced at a very low price per binding.

In Good to near VG, completely acceptable condition. Bindings lightly rubbed, scuffed or age worn, signs of usage, other mostly minor age flaws. Scattered foxing throughout the text, minor thin pencil lines in some blank margins, nothing offensive. Condition of each book is visible within the video- they all remain sound, tight and complete as issued with blank endpapers.

If you consider that all paper at this date was hand-made, the amount of paper the publisher must have been astounding, thousands upon countless thousands of sheets. And it likely would have been produced within the country, perhaps absorbing large portions of different manufacturers capacities.

Each thick heavy volume measures c. 11".

Set along shelf is c. 91" long (about seven feet, six inches long).

Sabin, Americana;  68634.

Rink, E. Technical Americana; 121.

Shaw & Shoemaker; 9234 & 19907.

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