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A Dictionary of the English Language - Samuel Johnson, 1756

2/4/2019

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In lieu of my latest restoration project (which should be completed in the next few weeks), I can't help but flaunt the newest (and, ironically, the oldest!) addition to my personal library: a second-edition printing of Samuel Johnson's first dictionary of the English language, published in two volumes in 1756. My copy is volume two, 'L-Z'. 
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Title page showing areas of loss and previous owners' inscriptions from 1811, 1894, 1899, and 1937.
It came to me in a very sorry state: most of the original cover is gone, with only the laced-in back board still attached to the textblock, although the sewing itself is in great shape. I also noticed a tiny knot of red and gold silk threads sticking out of spine edge, which might be a clue as to what the original sewn endbands looked like.
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Back board with remnants of possible (marbled?) paper cover
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Red and gold thread knot, possibly left over from the original sewn endbands.
The volume also has some water/mold damage on its last dozen pages or so, which may require an aqueous cleaning treatment. Once the textblock is back in order, I plan to replace the boards and give the volume a full-calf makeover in as close to the original style as I can, with the finished product resembling something like the edition pictured here. That project is a little outside of my skillset for now, but I'm looking forward to giving this 263-year-old beauty a new set of clothes in the very near future!
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Source: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30007969682&cm_sp=det-_-bsk-_-bdp
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