A DIDEROT PICTORIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TRADES & INDUSTRY

by C. G.-Ed. Gillispie ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Between 1751 and 1777 appeared the twenty-eight volumes of L'Encyclopedie, ou, Dictionnaire Raisonne des Sciences, des Arts, et des Metiers, edited by the hack- writer philosopher Denis Diderot. On one hand the work has been called a ""monument to the Age of Reason;"" on the other hand a churchman of the time wrote about it, ""Up to now Hell has vomited its venom, so to speak, drop by drop. Today there are torrents..."" Diderot's own aim was frankly ""to change the general way of thinking."" It added its bit of fuel to the fires of the Revolution, all right. The almost 3000 plates, elaborately keyed to articles in the text, had their intended effect of laying bare the technical processes of the nation's industry and commercial arts, and so helping to destroy the power of the guilds and trade monopolies -- an effect whose ultimate benefits were doubtful. But all the fuss has long since died down, and now Dover has republished 485 of these beautifully executed plates to provide the curious with an almost inexhaustible treasury of valuable information about 18th century trades, tasks, people, costumes, and manners on subjects ranging from Beekeeping to Blast Furnaces. The reproductions are clear, detailed, and mostly the same size as the originals. Professor Coulton of Princeton has contributed an enthusiastic introduction and comments upon the plates. One could wish he had given the original plate descriptions in greater details, for without them much of what is going on in the plates remains a mystery; but enough is as good as a feast. Dover plans to follow up these two columns with more during the next five years on Music, Art, Medicine, etc., from this same Encyclopedia.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dover

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1959

Categories: NONFICTION