Antique Rust Red Chambers's Encyclopedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge For the People, 1889, Complete 8 Volume Set

A moody, rustic set in rusty red-brown embossed cloth, this antique encyclopedia set has serious old-library character. The ornate detailing on every spine adds wonderful texture, even where the covers have worn through.

This is a complete, eight-volume 1889 printing of Chambers's Encyclopædia, Revised Edition, Unaltered and Unabridged, published in New York by Collier. Unlike the more commonly found 10-volume British edition of the same text, this Collier printing condensed the full encyclopedia into 8 volumes, with an American Supplement of over 5,000 additional articles bound into the back of Volume VIII, so this is a genuinely complete set rather than a partial run. Inside are period maps, wood engravings, and dense 19th-century reference text spanning A to Z.

Each volume stands approximately 11.5 inches tall, and the complete set spans about 15 inches of shelf space.

This set shows notable wear consistent with its age: frayed and chipped spine ends, worn corners, and rubbed, thinning cloth on several volumes exposing the boards beneath, etc.