Western European dictionaries and encyclopedias from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova

The book collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova includes a number of dictionaries and encyclopedias of a certain historical and cultural value, which were published in reputable printing houses of Western Europe. They have become a social phenomenon in the 18th and 19th centuries, appearing in dozens of editions and contributing significantly to the popularization of science and knowledge of languages among the population. These books are valuable also in terms of their design: leather bindings decorated with relief ornaments and inscriptions, gold stamping on the spines and gilded page edges, color lithographs and engravings, and other classic decorative elements. The article attempts to review the museum collection of such encyclopedias and dictionaries from the perspective of the history of book publishing in Western Europe in the 18th and 19th century.