Smallest English Dictionary in the World.

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. Bryce, David & Son. Glasgow. 1893. 384 pages. Printed on finest India paper. Portrait frontispiece of Dr. Johnson. Mite series. Set in 1-1/2 point type. Printed by Robert Maclehose, Glasgow. ""Dedicated by the publishers to Mrs Kendal in appreciation of kindly encouragement given to the production of tiny articles, of which she, has a unique- collection."All edges yellow. One leaf with short tear in the margin. Original tin locket with loop at the top, and built-in magnifying glass in the lid (some mild scratches and a little tarnished). 19 x 28 mm. Original red morocco (rather rubbed and thumbed). "English Dictionary" front cover and blank on back cover. At the time of publication, it probably was the smallest English dictionary in the world, thanks to David Bryce & Son's use of photo-mechanical reduction in large-scale book production. Bryce offered their dictionaries in a choice of Metal cases (1s.3d.), Tartan (1s.6d.), Yapped leather (2s.0d.), Silver gilt (2s.6d.), Gilt or engraved (3s.6d.) & Silver hallmarked locket (7s.6d.) -this example was the least costly and by far the least hard to find. This is one of a number of minuscule books published by Bryce by the process of photographic reduction. They are all legible with a magnifying glass and the equivalent of 1 1/2-point. This is number 18 in Ruth Adomeit's List of 32 Basic Books for the Serious Collector. Although "thousands of these dictionaries were published, they are now becoming distinctly scarce and command steadily rising prices" [Bondy]. Their publication coincided with a notable upsurge in national literacy - in the 1850s over half the children in the nation went to Sunday Schools and in 1880 all children between 5 and 10 years old were offered school education for the first time. For just over a shilling, a family could afford to buy a book, and dictionaries were the bestselling title by Bryce, providing hundreds of thousands of copies to families celebrating and showing off their literate status. Bondy, 106. Garbett, 25. Pistner, B233:7. Spielmann, 464. Welsh, 2406.