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ANTIQUARIAN, RARE & COLLECTABLE BOOKS & SOUTH EAST ASIAN ANTIQUES. ALL BOOKS TARIFF FREE TO USA.
ANTIQUARIAN, RARE & COLLECTABLE BOOKS & SOUTH EAST ASIAN ANTIQUES. ALL BOOKS TARIFF FREE TO USA.
Miniature Book; Bryce's English Dictionary; The Smallest English Dictionary in the World, David Bryce, Glasgow, c. 1900. Pears promotional issue with original magnifying leather wallet

Miniature Book; Bryce's English Dictionary; The Smallest English Dictionary in the World, David Bryce, Glasgow, c. 1900. Pears promotional issue with original magnifying leather wallet

LAN10317
£100.00 - £100.00
£100.00
£100.00 - £100.00
£100.00

Between about 1877 and 1912, David Bryce & Son of Glasgow became one of the world's foremost publishers of miniature books, issuing more than forty titles in remarkably small yet highly legible editions. Taking advantage of advances in photographic reduction and electroplate printing, Bryce produced miniature Bibles, dictionaries, Shakespeare, Burns, devotional works and other popular texts that combined technical ingenuity with attractive bindings and ingenious presentation. Today these tiny volumes remain among the most celebrated achievements of Victorian and Edwardian miniature book publishing.

Bryce's English Dictionary; The Smallest English Dictionary in the World. Comprising; besides the ordinary and newest words in the Language Short Explanations of a Large Number of Scientific, Philosophical, Literary, and Technical Terms.

Published by David Bryce and Son, Glasgow. Produced as a promotional issue for Pears Soap, one of the pioneers of modern advertising. Promotional editions such as this were intended to be retained and used rather than discarded, making them attractive survivals of late Victorian commercial ephemera. Undated, but c. 1900. Printed by Robert Maclehose, Glasgow.

A very good miniature book, with brown leather yapp covers with built-in magnifying glass to the front. With press-stud closure mechanism (the leather by the rear stud has a 15mm tear). With portrait frontispiece of Samuel Johnson.

The book's rear cover slots into the leather outer. The book itself has red limp leather (or leather effect) covers with gilt titles - rubbed to spine. Text is bright and clean. Yellow edges to text block. Some age related wear.

Text in English.

384pp.

Dimensions: approximately 38mm high x 27mm wide x 10mm deep (including binding). Text page size approx 27mm high x 19mm wide (a seriously small book!).

Weight: approximately 6g (unpacked).