June 2026 Auction Ends Thursday, June 25th, 5pm Pacific

Lot #50:

Scarce Second Edition of Samuel Johnson's 2-Volume Masterpiece of Lexicography -- ''A Dictionary Of The English Language: In Which The Words Are Deduced From The Originals...'' -- 1755

Very rare second edition of Samuel Johnson's seminal 1755 dictionary in two volumes. Titled, ''A Dictionary of the English Language: In Which the Words are Deduced from their Originals, and Illustrated in their Different Significations by Examples from the Best Writers. To Which are Prefixed, a History of the Language, and an English Grammar''. London: W. Strahan for J. and P. Knapton, 1755.

This work, which took Johnson eight years to create, has been hailed by scholars as a crucial achievement in the history of lexicography. Johnson here catalogues over 40,000 words and provides examples of usage with more than 100,000 excerpts from existing literature. Johnson's dictionary reigned as the foremost reference for over 100 years until the end of the nineteenth century.

Each volume is bound in original leather boards with gilt trim and ribbed spine, measuring 11'' x 16.5''. Prior owner's bookplate affixed to both front pastedowns and first few leaves show scattered pencil notations. Integral blanks at front and rear are detached as is a ''Q'' page in the second volume. Shelf wear to boards as expected, with separation of boards at hinges though still attached. Overall in good condition.