A Hundred Wonders of the Modern World and of the Three Kingdoms of Nature

Attributed to Sir Richard Phillips, this fascinating 1834 encyclopaedia contains articles on natural and man-made curiosities across the world.

Compiled by the London-born author and publisher Sir Richard Phillips (1767–1840), this accessible encyclopaedia is a fascinating catalogue of curiosities across the world. It includes a survey of mountains, rivers and lakes across the world, present and past architectural wonders, as well as exotic animals and vegetation.Sir Richard Phillips (1767–1840) was a London-born author and publisher of educational textbooks who used a vast array of pseudonyms, including that of Reverend C. C. Clarke. Phillips' marketing techniques - the systematic borrowing of famous (living or deceased) authors' names for his textbooks, along with the multiplication of easy to produce related educational products - were key to his success. No doubt meant as an accessible encyclopaedia, this 40th edition of 1834 - attributed to Phillips himself - is a surprisingly vast and heterogeneous survey, which compiles natural and man-made curiosities across the world. The Himalayas and Mont Blanc share a chapter with the Peak of Derbyshire; famous rivers lead to mysterious subterranean forests; and Stonehenge is closely followed by St Paul's cathedral. Halfway between reference book and textbook, this richly illustrated volume is a fascinating catalogue of the world's wonders as perceived in the early nineteenth century.