original edition 1800's WEBSTERS dictionary-1500 pages-ebay-$25

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE%3AIT&rd=1

Can anyone verify that the book is a first edition from the information
available?

66fourdoor offered:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...100677&rd=1&ss...

Laurence asked:

Can anyone verify that the book is a first edition from the information available?

It is not.

ER Lyon

"xerlome" wrote in message
oups.com...
66fourdoor offered:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...100677&rd=1&ss...

Laurence asked:

Can anyone verify that the book is a first edition from the information
available?

It is not.

ER Lyon

That's one of the most unintentionally-humorous eBay auctions ever, and
almost enough to make me start up the AntiFAQs again.

In trying to convince us that the book is from1828, the seller types:
"THIS IS DEFINITELY A VERY OLD BOOK BECAUSE THE WORD "AUTOMOBILE" IS NOT IN
IT- THIS BOOK PREDATES THE INVENTION OF THE CAR"

Kris

66fourdoor wrote:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE%3AIT&rd=1

Laurence wrote:
Can anyone verify that the book is a first edition from
the information available?

I don't know what this particular issue is, but there have been various
cheaply made modified reprints of early Webster dictionaries. Usually
these reprints will show the actual date of printing, perhaps 1890s or
early 1900s. The ones i've seen are based on 1840s or 50s originals.
Not only is this not an 1828 "American Dictionary," but almost
certainly not even a reprint of that edition. I say "almost" only
because i don't absolutely know that some publisher didn't use that
edition and add extra material.

The fact that there are pictures immediately betrays that it is not an
original Webster. The first pictures were added to the 1859 Merriam
edition. I have a cheap reprint of this published by Saalman, 1900,
with a picture section that looks like what is shown in the eBay
offering. It also includes some material not originally in that
edition. This might be the one being offered on eBay.

Another clue is that no "original" Webster claims to be an original
Webster. The front cover of one i have has "THE ORIGINAL WEBSTER"S
UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY" imprinted on it. It is based on the 1847
edition, and is published by Donohue & Henneberry, 1894. The only
picture it has is a low grade engraving of Noah Webster. But the 1847
is not "the original Webster's", but the first revision published by
Merriam.

All of the reprints i've seen, from near turn of the century, look
"very old" because they were so poorly made that they aged very
quickly, even to the point of falling apart. The paper is pulp, the
bindings are poor, and the printing terrible. The three different
reprint issues i have will go to dust before my authentic 1854 printing
of the 1847 reaches their level of deterioration. However, based on
the eBay picture, it may not be too bad.

I would not pay the price asked for the eBay item. You can buy a
quality *new* reprint of the 1828 from the Foundation for American
Christian Education, $65.00 normally, but $52.00 until December 31.
That's today, so call right away, 800-352-3223 - Not to be promoting
it, but this might be as low as you'll see unless you're pretty lucky.
Used copies are usually sold by dealers for more than this. I saw one
for $100.00 recently. Be forewarned that it is not entirely a reprint,
but has an added introductory section. It was first published in
1967.

F.A.C.E. publishes the 1828 because they favor Noah Webster's Christian
bias in writing definitions, and his fanciful etymologies and history
of language based on the Bible. They reject corrections and revisions,
as well as modern usage and dictionaries, as sacreligious and
erroneous. I'm glad they published it, though, because it is well
made and actual originals are through the roof pricewise - I saw one
once, an enormous two volume set for $3,000.

But the 1828 was not Noah Webster's final edition. He produced a
somewhat expanded revision in 1840. If F.A.C.E. wanted to publish
all that Webster had to offer, they ought to have used that edition
instead. After his death, the 1847 and 1859 modest revisions by
Chauncey Goodrich were pretty much what Webster created, but added a
little vocabulary and removed what were referred to as (if i recall
correctly) his "excrescences." So if you want a Noah Webster
dictionary, and you aren't fussy about the fine details, one of the
cheap reprints of early posthumous revisions may be all you need.

ER Lyon