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Encyclopaedia Britannica

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32 Volume Encyclopaedia Britannica Print Set

History of the Encyclopædia Britannica Print Set

Edition Editors Published by Number of Volumes
First edition (in parts) 1768-71 William Smellie A society of Gentlemen in Scotland publishers
Colin Macfarquhar printer
Andrew Bell engraver
Parts Bound in 3 volumes
160 copperplate engravings by Bell
Second edition (in parts) 1777-84 (dated 1788-97) James Tytler Bell & Macfarquhar publishers 10 vol, vol 10 with supplement
Third edition (in parts) 1788-97 Colin Macfarquhar till 1793
George Gleig 1793-97
Bell & Macfarquhar
Bell buys copyright 1797
18 vol, 542 plates by Bell
Supplement 1801 George Gleig Thomas Bonar (Bell’s son-in-law) 2 vol 50 plates by D.Lizars
Fourth edition (in parts) 1801-09 James Millar Bell to 1809
Bell trustees 1809-10
20 vol dated 1810
Fifth edition 1815 Thomson Bonar
James Millar
Archibald Constable & Co 20 vol
Sixth edition (in parts) 1820-23 Charles Maclaren Constable & Co 20 vol
Supplement (in half volumes) 1815-24 Macvey Napier Constable & Co 6 vol supplement to fourth, fifth and sixth editions
Seventh edition (in parts) 1830-42 Macvey Napier Adam & Charles Black 21 vol, first index and text figures
Eight edition (in volumes) 1852-60 T.S. Traill A & C Black 24 numbered vol (full revised) unnumbered index
Ninth edition (in volumes) 1875-89 T.S. Baynes to 1881
W. Robertson Smith joint editor 1881-87, editor 1887-89
A & C Black, Horace Hooper, with others acquires reprint rights and support of The Times (London) 24 numbered vol, unnumbered index “Scholars edition”
Tenth edition in volumes) 1902-03 Hugh Chisholm joint editor with Sir D. M. Wallace & A.T. Hadley A & C Black publishers The Times (London)
Horace Hooper & Jackson owners
35 vol
Eleventh edition 1910-11 Hugh Chisholm editor-in-chief
Franklin Hooper US editor
EB Ltd London
EB Co New York
Horace Hooper owner;
Cambridge University Press edition
29 vol new “dictionary plan”
Handy volume issue 1915-16   Sold by mail order through Sears, Roebuck & Co Photographic reprint of 11th edition; smaller format
Twelfth edition 1921-22 (supplement to 11th) Hugh Chisholm editor-in-chief
Franklin Hooper US editor
Horace Hooper owner
Sears, Roebuck (1920-23) publisher
William J. Cox owner
with Hooper’s widow 1923-26
 
Thirteenth edition 1929 (supplement to 11th) J. L. Garvin editor-in-chief
Franklin Hooper US editor
Cox, publisher 32 Vol
Fourteenth edition 1929 J. L. Garvin editor-in-chief
Franklin Hooper US editor
Cox publisher and owner
Sears, Roebuck owners from 1928
24 vol,
vol 24 containing new atlas index
Fourteenth edition continuous revision and printings:
1930, 1932, 1933, 1936,
1937, 1938, 1939, 1940,
1941, 1942, 1943, 1944,
1945, 1946, 1947, 1948,
1949, 1950, 1951, 1952,
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956,
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960,
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964,
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968,
1969, 1970, 1971, 1972,
1973
J. L. Garvin editor-in-chief to 1930

Franklin Hooper US editor to 1930
editor-in-chief 1932-38

Walter Yust editor-in-chief 1938-60

Harry S. Ashmore
editor-in-chief 1960-63

Sir William Haley
editor-in-chief 1968-69
Cox till 1932
Sears (president Elkan H. Powell) till 1943


William Benton publisher and chairman 1943-73

Helen H. Benton publisher 1973-74

Robert P. Gwinn chairman from 1973
24 vol each printing
Fifteenth edition 1974 and continuous revision and printings:
1974, 1975, 1976, 1977,
1978, 1979, 1980, 1981,
1982, 1983, 1984
Warren E. Preece editor 1964;
editor-in-chief 1965-67;
general editor 1968-73
the editor 1973-75
William Benton Foundation of Illinois owner 1981-1996 30 vol – 3 part format
19 vol Macropaedia,
10 vol Micropaedia,
1 vol Propaedia)
Fifteenth edition 1985 and continuous revision and printings:
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992,
1993, 1994
Philip W. Goetz
executive editor 1965-74;
editor-in-chief 1979-91
Robert McHenry
editor-in-chief 1991-97
William Benton Foundation of Illinois owner 1981-1995 32 vol (2 vol index)
12 vol Micropaedia,
17 vol Macropaedia,
1 vol Propaedia
Fifteenth edition 1995 and continuous revision and printings:
1995, 1997, 1998, 2002,
2003, 2005, 2007, 2010
Dale Hoiberg editor-in-chief 1997 – present Jacob E. Safra owner and publisher 1996 – present 32 vol (2 vol index)
12 vol Micropaedia,
17 vol Macropaedia,
1 vol Propaedia