Dalhousie Bacon Collection| Dalhousie University, Killam
Memorial Library Bacon, Francis; Natural history--Pre-Linnean
works; Science--Methodology; Logic The collection was
established in 1972. The main collection was assembled by Sir
Francis Bacon's bibliographer, Reginald W. Gibson. The
subsequent purchase of items formerly in the library of James
Spedding, nineteenth century editor of Bacon's work, has given
additional depth to the collection. Bacon's work covered many
disciplines, including natural history, philosophy, law, and
British religious and political history. The collection contains
copies of more than half of all the known editions of Bacon's
writings; 148 of the 285 volumes are seventeenth century
imprints. Also included is a unique copy of the Essays (1680);
one of the two copies of Three speeches (1641) with the portrait
of Bacon; fifteen items from first and only editions; and over
seventy first edition volumes. The chronological emphasis is
pre-1750. The geographic emphasis is on British im