Panckoucke’s Methodical Encyclopedia

I. The Encyclopédie méthodique (1782–1832)

The Encyclopédie, edited by Diderot and d’Alembert from 1751, ceased publication in 1780. In 1782, the Encyclopédie méthodique took its place. Published and sold on a subscription basis by the book seller Charles Joseph Panckoucke, its last volume would be published fifty years later in 1832. The Encyclopédie méthodique, also called the Encyclopédie Panckoucke, bore the full title of Encyclopédie méthodique ou par ordre de matières par une société de gens de lettres, de savants et d’artistes ; précédée d’un Vocabulaire universel, servant de table pour tout l’ouvrage (Methodical Encyclopedia ordered according to subject matter by a society of literary figures, scholars, and artists; preceded by a universal Vocabulary, serving as an index for the entire work).

The Encyclopédie méthodique was designed to continue and complement Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, but also reflected a respectfully critical view of it. The latter was criticized for its alphabetical organization, with information on any given subject dispersed over a number of articles that the reader had to link together.

The creators of the Encyclopédie méthodique sought to improve upon this by organizing its content according to subject matter rather than alphabetically, forgoing an analytical approach in favor of dynamically synthesizing information into thematic areas. This monumental encyclopedia therefore consists of forty standalone dictionaries, each one focusing on a specific field and comprising 208 volumes in total, including both texts and plates.

This revolutionary approach to subject order is closely tied to the selection of the hundreds of authors, whose expertise decisively shaped the originality of this new encyclopedic project. A number of contributors to Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie were generalists, compilers of information who also vulgarized it, whereas those who contributed to the Encyclopédie méthodique were experts on the subjects dealt with and, in many cases, eminent scientists.

Complete collections of this vast corpus rarely have the same number of volumes. This can be explained by the fact that the Encyclopédie méthodique was distributed to subscribers in the form of pamphlets or booklets and not bound volumes, leaving them a certain freedom when it came to organizing and binding their collections. Our fully complete collection comprises 208 volumes—164 text volumes and forty-four volumes of plates. In total, the Encyclopédie méthodique spans almost one million pages (939,941) and 5,997 plates; 123 contributors have been identified. It constitutes an unparalleled compendium of the art, science, culture, knowledge, and know-how of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe.

II – Editing Principles
The original and complete facsimile of the 208 volumes of the Encyclopédie Méthodique is presented in a “hidden-text” format, allowing a full-text search. The OCR processing has been done on texts from the eighteenth century and first third of the nineteenth century.
For general and material bibliographical references, we followed the descriptions used in the general catalogue of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
The topics covered by the Encyclopédie Méthodique, forty in total, are classified alphabetically. For each subject are listed the volume number(s), author(s), editor(s), collaborator(s), dates, publisher(s) and places of publication.
Volumes of plates covering several subjects are called “Recueils de planches de l'encyclopédie par ordre de matières”. Volumes covering only one subject have a title beginning with “Planches . . . ” or “ Recueil . . . ” followed by the subject matter (e.g., “Planches du Dictionnaire de Physique”; “Recueil des Planches du Dictionnaire encyclopédique de l’Art aratoire et du jardinage”) . These volumes of plates can be accessed either through: 1) the title index; 2) or the text volumes’ tables of contents, via two types of link: an “Accès aux planches” link for text volumes linked to one or several volumes of plates concerning a single subject matter; or an icon for the text volumes that are not linked to specific volumes of plates but have several points of access to a volume of plates covering several subjects. Some plates have also been incorporated into related text volumes (see for example “Planches de l’Histoire naturelle des animaux,” which can be found in the “Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois règnes de la nature”).

III - Content of the Encyclopédie méthodique. Dictionary of subjects
AGRICULTURE : Seven volumes (1787-1821)
Tessier (Alexandre-Henri), Thouin (André), Fougeroux de Bondaroy (Auguste-Denis), Reynier (Jean-François), Bosc (Louis-Augustin-Guillaume), Baudrillart (Jacques-Joseph)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

AMUSEMENS DES SCIENCES : One volume (1792)
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Eighth volume (Paris, Panckoucke, 1790)

ANTIQUITÉS : Five volumes (1786- Year II [1794])
Mongez (Antoine)
Collaborators: Rabaut Saint-Étienne (Jean-Paul), Clermont-Lodève (Guillaume-Emmanuel-Joseph Guilhem de), Dupuis (Charles-François), Volney (Constantin-François de Chasseboeuf de)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates : Three volumes (Year XII [1804]-1824)
Mongez (Antoine), Mongez (Marie Joséphine Angélique), Bouilliard (Jacques), De Sève (Jacques-Eustache)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

ARCHITECTURE : Three volumes (1788-1825)
Quatremère de Quincy (Antoine)
Collaborators: Huyot (Jean-Nicolas), Rondelet (Jean), Castellan (Antoine-Laurent)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

ART ARATOIRE : One volume (Year V [1797])
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates : One volume (1802 [Year X]), Benard (G.), edited by
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris

ARTILLERIE : One volume (1822)
Cotty (Herman)
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

ART MILITAIRE : Three volumes (1784-1787) + one supplementary volume (1797 [Year V])
Keralio (Louis-Félix Guinement), Lacuée (Jean-Girard), Servan (Joseph)
Collaborator: Jabro (Jean-Martin)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Seventh volume (Paris, Panckoucke, and Liège, Plomteux, 1789)

ARTS ACADÉMIQUES : One volume (1786)
Collective
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Seventh volume (Paris, Panckoucke, and Liège, Plomteux, 1789)

ARTS ET MÉTIERS MÉCANIQUES : Eight volumes (1782-1791)
Lacombe (Jacques)
Collaborators: Allut (Antoine), Blanquart de Sept-Fontaines (Louis-Marie), Desmarest (Nicolas), La Lande (Jérôme de)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
Plates : Six volumes, Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières (1783-1789)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE CONSTITUANTE : One volume (1792)
Peuchet (Jacques)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris

BEAUX-ARTS : Two volumes (1788-1791)
Watelet (Claude-Henri), Levesque (Pierre-Charles)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
Plates : One volume (Year XIII [1805])
Benard (Robert) and De Sève (Jacques-Eustache) edited by
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris

BOTANIQUE : Eight volumes (1783-1808) + supplement : Five volumes (1810-1817)
Lamarck (Jean-Baptiste de Monet de), Poiret (Jean-Louis-Marie)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris
Supplement
Lamarck (Jean-Baptiste de Monet de), Poiret (Jean-Louis-Marie)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d’Henri), Paris
Tableau encyclopédique ... 3 règnes de la nature - Botanique : Three volumes (1791-1823)
Lamarck (Jean-Baptiste de Monet de), Poiret (Jean-Louis-Marie)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Plates : Four parts (1823)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

CHASSES : One volume (Year III [1795])
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates : One volume (1811)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris

CHIMIE : Six volumes (1786-1815)
Guyton de Morveau (Louis-Bernard), Maret (Hugues), Guillot-Duhamel (Jean-Pierre-François), Fourcroy (Antoine-François), Chaussier (François)
Collaborators: Vauquelin (Nicolas), Willemet (Pierre-Rémi-François-de-Paule)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Plates : Two parts (1813-1814)
De Sève (Jacques-Eustache), Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d’Henri), Paris

CHIRURGIE : Two volumes (1790-1792)
La Roche (Daniel de), Petit-Radel (Philippe), Allan (Guy Félix)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
Plates : One volume (Year VII [1798])
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris

COMMERCE : Three volumes (1783-1784)
Baudeau (Nicolas)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

ÉCONOMIE POLITIQUE ET DIPLOMATIQUE : Four volumes (1784-1788)
Démeunier (Jean-Nicolas)
Collaborators: Grivel (Guillaume), Desbois de Rochefort (Éléonore-Marie)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

ENCYCLOPEDIANA : One volume (1791)
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris

FINANCES : Three volumes (1784-1787)
Rousselot de Surgy (Jacques-Philibert)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

FORÊTS ET BOIS : One volume in two parts (1791-1815)
Blanquart de Sept-Fontaines (Louis-Marie), Sénebier (Jean), Prony (Gaspard de)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

GÉOGRAPHIE ANCIENNE : Three volumes (1787-1792)
Mentelle (Edme)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

GÉOGRAPHIE MODERNE : Three volumes (1782-1788)
Robert (François), Masson de Morvilliers (Nicolas)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

ATLAS GÉOGRAPHIQUE : Two volumes (1787-1788)
Bonne (Rigobert), Desmarest (Nicolas)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris

GÉOGRAPHIE PHYSIQUE : Five volumes (Year III [1795]-1828)
Desmarest (Nicolas), Bory de Saint-Vincent (Jean-Baptiste-Geneviève-Marcellin), Doin (Guillaume-Tell), Ferry (Claude-Joseph), Huot (Jean-Jacques-Nicolas)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d’Henri), Paris

GRAMMAIRE ET LITTÉRATURE : Three volumes (1782-1786)
Beauzée (Nicolas), Marmontel (Jean-François)
Collaborateur : Du Marsais (César Chesneau)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

HISTOIRE : Five volumes (1784-1791) + one supplementary volume (Year XII/1804)
Gaillard (Gabriel-Henri)
Collaborators: Grünwald (Frédéric-Emmanuel), Montigny (Charles-Claude), Sacy (Claude-Louis-Michel de), Turpin (François-Henri)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Seventh volume (Paris, Panckoucke, and Liège, Plomteux, 1789)

HISTOIRE NATURELLE DES ANIMAUX : Ten volumes (1782-1825)
Daubenton (Louis-Jean-Marie), Mauduyt (Pierre-Jean-Claude), Olivier (Guillaume-Antoine), : Latreille (Pierre-André), Godart (Jean Baptiste), Lepeletier (Amédée), Audinet-Serville (Jean-Guillaume), Guérin-Méneville (Félix-Édouard)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

HISTOIRE NATURELLE DES VERS : Three volumes (1792-1832)
Bruguière (Jean-Guillaume), Lamarck (Jean-Baptiste de Monet de), Deshayes (Gérard-Paul)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

HISTOIRE NATURELLE DES ZOOPHYTES ... One volume = ‘second’ (1824)
Lamouroux (Jean-Vincent-Félix), Bory de Saint-Vincent (Jean-Baptiste-Geneviève-Marcellin), Eudes-Deslongchamps (Jacques-Armand)
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

PLANCHES DE L’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DES ANIMAUX = Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois règnes de la nature (1788-1827)
- Mammalogie : Two volumes (1820-1822)
Desmarest (Anselme Gaétan)
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Quadruped plates: One volume (n.d.)
Benard (Robert) edited by
no publisher mentioned, no place of publication mentioned
Note: Work without a title page – a title page was created.
- Cetologie : One volume (1789)
Bonnaterre (Pierre Joseph)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
- Erpétologie : One volume (1789)
Bonnaterre (Pierre Joseph)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
- Ophiologie : One volume (1790)
Bonnaterre (Pierre Joseph)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
- Ornithologie : Three volumes [= parts] (1823)
Bonnaterre (Pierre Joseph), Vieillot (Louis-Pierre)
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Plates : One volume (1823)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
- Ichthyologie : One volume (1788)
Bonnaterre (Pierre Joseph)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris
- Insectes : One volume (1797)
Latreille (Pierre-André)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris
- Crustacés : One volume (1818)
Latreille (Pierre-André)
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
- Vers, coquilles, mollusques et polypiers : Three volumes (1827)
Bruguière (Jean-Guillaume), Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

JEUX : Three volumes (1792-Year VII [1799])
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Henri), Paris

JURISPRUDENCE : Ten volumes (1782-1791)
Editors: Lerasle, Peuchet (Jacques)
Collaborators: Rémi (Joseph-Honoré), Henrion de Pansey (Pierre-Paul-Nicolas), Garran de Coulon (Jean-Philippe), Guyot (Joseph-Nicolas), Bertolio (Antoine-René-Constance), Vermeil (François-Michel), Delacroix (Jacques-Vincent), Boucher-d'Argis (André-Jean-Baptiste)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

LOGIQUE ET MÉTAPHYSIQUE : Two volumes (1786-1788)
Lacretelle (Pierre-Louis)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
LOGIQUE, MÉTAPHYSIQUE ET MORALE : Two volumes (1789-1791)
Lacretelle (Pierre-Louis)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

MANUFACTURES, ARTS ET MÉTIERS : Four volumes (1784-1828)
Roland de La Platière (Jean-Marie), Doin (Guillaume-Tell), Poutet (Jean-Joseph-Étienne)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Plates : Two volumes, Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières (1786-1790)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

MARINE : Three volumes (1783-1787)
Vial Du Clairbois (Honoré-Sébastien), Blondeau (Étienne-Nicolas)
Collaborateur : Duval-Le Roy (Nicolas-Claude)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Fifth volume (Paris, Panckoucke, and Liège, Plomteux, 1787)

MATHÉMATIQUES : Three volumes (1784-1789)
Bossut (Charles), Alembert (D'), La Lande (Jérôme de), Condorcet (Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat marquis de)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège
Plates in the Recueil de planches de l’Encyclopédie, par ordre de matières. Seventh volume (Paris, Panckoucke, and Liège, Plomteux, 1789)

MÉDECINE : Thirteen volumes (1787-1830)
Editors : Vicq-d'Azyr (Félix), Mahon (Paul Augustin Olivier), Petit-Radel (Philippe), Moreau (Jacques-Louis), Thillaye (Auguste-J.)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Henri), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

MUSIQUE : Two volumes (1791-1818)
Collaborator: Feytou (Jean-Étienne)
Framery (Nicolas-Étienne), Ginguené (Pierre-Louis), Momigny (Jérôme-Joseph de)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

PÊCHES : One volume (Year IV [1796])
Lacombe (Jacques)
published by Agasse (Henri), Paris
Plates : One volume (1793)
Benard (Robert) edited by
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris

PHILOSOPHIE : Three volumes (1791-Year II [1794])
Naigeon (Jacques-André)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris ; Agasse (Henri), Paris

PHYSIQUE : Four volumes (1793-1822)
Monge (Gaspard), Cassini (Jean-Dominique), Bertholon (Pierre), Hassenfratz (Jean-Henri)
publisher not mentioned, Paris (vol. 1) ; published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris (vols. 2-4)
Plates : Two volumes (= parts) (1816-1824)
De Sève (Jacques-Eustache) edited by
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

SYSTÈME ANATOMIQUE : Four volumes (1792-1830)
Cloquet (Hippolyte), Vicq-d'Azyr (Félix)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège ; Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris
Plates : One volume (1825)
De Sève (Jacques-Eustache) edited by
published by Agasse (Veuve d'Henri), Paris

THÉOLOGIE : Three volumes (1788-1790)
Bergier (Nicolas)
published by Panckoucke (Charles-Joseph), Paris, Plomteux (Clément), Liège

IV – Search

1 – Full-text search
- Proximity search Two terms distant from each other by a defined number of words. The default is “and 3”, “without 3” and “then 3”, but this number can be modified. Examples: nature "and 3" homme; nature "without 3" homme; nature "then 3" homme.
- Adjacency search Search of several words in a specified order. Example: pomme de pin.
- Respect of case Precede the word searched for with ‘case’ so that this is respected (capital letter, lower case). Examples: "case" Homme; "case" homme; "case" HOMME
- Search for words in the constituent parts of a text This concerns sentences, paragraphs. Search for two words in the same ‘sentence’: x "and sentence" y; this is the same for "and paragraph". Examples: esprit "and sentence" langue; idée "and paragraph" imagination

2 – Encyclopedia/Plates
The checkboxes [x] ENCYCLOPEDIA, [x] PLATES, and [x] Text are selected by default. Searches are carried out across the entire Encyclopedia. To search only in the textual volumes, select “ENCYCLOPEDIA” and deselect “PLATES” and vice-versa.

3 – Titles, dates, and volumes
To see the Encyclopédie titles published in a given year, deselect “PLANCHES” (plates) and enter the year in the “Année” (year) field. Clicking on “Index” in the “Titre” (title) field will display all the titles published in that year.
Likewise, with that same year still in the “Année” field, and by clicking on “Index” again, it is possible to obtain information on all the other fields: “Auteur” (author), “Éditeur scientifique” (editor), “Collaborateur” (collaborator), “Éditeur” (publisher), “Lieu d'édition” (place of publication), “Nombre de pages” (number of pages), and “Page.”

4 – Table of contents. Text, Pre-text, and Post-text
A comprehensive table of contents accompanies each volume, designed to enable precise searches across the “Pre-text,” “Text,” and “Post-text” sections.
Using the “Document” window, you can visualize the contents of a page of “Text,” “Pre-text,” or “Post-text.”

5 – Pages. Missing or incorrect numbering
You will find, next to a page number after a “/,” the number of the original page when the numbering is incorrect.
When a page is not numbered in the original, the number is preceded by “-/.”