For the first time, this restored and reimagined edition of Heck’s Iconographic Encyclopædia brings together the original multi-volume collection of more than 13,000 illustrations and 1.6 million words of descriptions into one interactive project.
In 1844, German publisher Johann Georg Heck started compiling his illustrated encyclopedia, covering a wide range of subjects from astronomy to zoology and published his encyclopedia between 1849 and 1851 as a 10-part collection. Originally titled Bilder-Atlas zum Conversations-Lexicon. Ikonographische Encyklopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, it was released as a supplement to Brockhaus Enzyklopädie, a German encyclopedia. Between 1851 and 1852, it was translated to English as Iconographic Encyclopædia of Science, Literature, and Art and edited by Spencer Fullerton Baird, who would later become the first curator of the Smithsonian Institution.
Over the course of 13 months, scans of 500 engraved plates and 3,000 pages of text were integrated into a single comprehensive edition. Scans were also made freely available for download under a public domain license. Enhancements included analysis, history, and artwork based on data derived from previous editions. Plates and their figures were incorporated with their descriptions to facilitate easy reference, resulting in an interactive experience that honors the original intent from more than 170 years prior.
Press
- 無料で1800年代に出版された1万3000点以上の図解を含む百科事典「Iconographic Encylopædia」を閲覧できるデジタル版が公開 (English translation), Feb 8, 2022, Gigazine
- Modernized version of a mid-19th century encylopedia, Feb 10, 2022, FlowingData
- Encyclopedic Data Art, Feb 10, 2022, Nightingale
- Iconographic Encyclopædia: un libro dell’800 pieno di tavole illustrate, digitalizzato da Nicholas Rougeux (English translation), Feb 15, 2022, Frizzifrizzi
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- A 19th Century Encyclopedia Gets a Modern Makeover, Apr 19, 2022, Smithsonian Libraries / Unbound
- A 19th Century Encyclopedia Gets a Modern Makeover, Apr 20, 2022, Smithsonian Magazine
- Unplugged, June 27, 2022, Morning Brew
- Smashing Newsletter: Issue #421, Sep 5, 2023, Smashing Magazine
