Appeal for readers (ed. 2, June 1879)

Welcome to the facsimile text of the second edition of James Murray's Appeal to the English-speaking and English-reading public, issued in June 1879.

The first and third editions are also available here.

Although the three Appeal editions are essentially the same text, it is fascinating to trace the progress and development of the early phase of reading for the OED, evidenced by the alterations, footnotes, and accompanying material in successive editions.

The second and third Appeal editions, along with the list of eighteenth century books, were assigned reference letters by Murray himself in order to reference a report he had written for the Delegates of the University Press in March 1880. It is not known, however, whose hand struck through some of the work titles in the reading list for the second edition of the Appeal. For more background information, see Brewer, Charlotte, OED Sources in Mugglestone, Lynda Lexicography and the OED - Pioneers in the Untrodden Forest.

The images were captured from rare documents belonging to the official OED archives, which are housed in the Archive Department at Oxford University Press. For further information, please contact Martin Maw, Archivist, Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.

Go to the facsimile text.