CHAMBERS, Ephraim.

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Cyclopaedia: or, an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences; First edition. "His admirably cross-referenced work is universally recognized as the father of the modern encyclopaedia" (Goetz, p. 381).Chambers was inspired by John Harris's technical dictionary, Lexicon technicum (1704), but sought to expand it into a comprehensive survey of human knowledge. He "introduced cross-references, which proved indispensable to every subsequent lexicographer. Because of this, combined with inclusion of more of the humanities, Chambers's work became the first true general encyclopaedia" (ODNB)."Its impact and influence upon later generations was incalculable. It directly influenced the famous Encyclopédie of Diderot, and the new Encyclopaedia compiled by Abraham Rees... Less directly, the pioneering example of Cyclopaedia stimulated the publication of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and many subsequent works" (Walsh, p. 39).

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