From Folio to Fopdoodle
Melbourne Rare Book Week
Exploring some of the curiosities of Samuel Johnson’s famous Dictionary
Speaker: John Byrne
The publication of Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755 was a sensation in England and Europe. It heralded the birth of modern lexicography, and it was 150 years before it was superseded by the Oxford English Dictionary. Johnson’s Dictionary first appeared in two majestic folio volumes, which were soon followed by quarto, octavo and miniature editions. John Byrne has assembled one of the finest privately held Johnsonian collections in the world. He will display copies from his collection and discuss why and how this great work is still important to us today.
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