[Lexiconistics]. Bibliotheca Lexicorum. Sammlung Otmar Seemann bearbeitet von Martin Peche. Eine Bibliographie der enzyklopädischen Literatur von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der im deutschen Sprachraum ab dem Jahr 1500 gedruckten Werke.

Vienna, Inlibris, 2001.

708 pp. With a folded, colored frontispiece and c. 90 text illustrations. Red cloth with stamped title to cover and spine. Large 8vo (10 x 7 inches approx.).

 70.00

Catalog of Otmar Seemann's renowned collection of encyclopaedias. The collection comprises almost all general encyclopaedias published in German-speaking countries from 1500 onwards, among them, e.g., the most complete collection of Brockhaus encyclopaedias known (including the extremely rare first edition [PMM 269]). The catalog also lists all editions of the 'Meyer' and contains the series of Ersch-Gruber and Zedler as well as numerous smaller works of reference of considerable rarity. Among the many English-language works contained are many editions of the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', the 'British Encyclopaedia', the 'Pears' and 'Penny' cyclopaedias, etc.

Due to its exact collations (not to be found in any other work) and extensive commentaries (in English for English encyclopaedias), the catalog is invaluable for bibliographical research in its field. In addition, as the great encyclopaedias invariably reflect the knowledge of their age and, more importantly, the respective age's specific approach to that knowledge, the material documented here also provides ample sources for social and cultural studies.

This powerful work of reference, which fills a long-deplored bibliographical gap, also contains two comprehensive indexes and a separate list of those works consulted for the commentary and bibliographical information (comprising more than 3,000 titles), which can be used as an independent bibliography of the history of encyclopaedias and lexiconistics. [ISBN: 3-9500813-5-6]

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