Bronze
3 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Bronze. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
an alloy of copper. The name is related to brown. Copper forms from seventy to ninety per cent of the alloy. Other metals entering in are tin and zinc. Bronze used for bells contains as high as twenty-five per cent of tin. The bronze used formerly for cannon contained about ten per cent of tin and a small amount of zinc. The bronze used in making statuary varies greatly in composition. Some statues are made of brass almost pure. Others contain from one to twenty-five per cent of tin, zinc, or sometimes lead. Bronze has been improved by the addition of a fraction of one per cent of phosphorus. An alloy of copper and aluminum, called aluminum bronze, has great tensile strength. Bronze was known to the ancients. In fact, the use of bronze preceded that of iron and steel, and gave the name to the so-called Bronze Age . For many purposes bronze is superior to iron. It is a tough metal not subject to rust. The ancients found it very satisfactory for swords, axes, and edged tools. This, before they were familiar with methods of making steel. See Brass ; Bell ; Alloy 2026 Editor's Note: Ancient bronzes are rare for a brutal reason: bronze could be melted down for weapons and coin, so nearly all of them were. This is why the Greek sculpture we know is mostly Roman copies in marble of lost bronze originals — and why the occasional survivor, like the Riace warriors pulled from the sea in 1972, causes such excitement. (Ed: BR 2026-07-01)
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
an alloy composed of copper and tin, sometimes with a little zinc and lead. It is harder and more fusible than copper itself. The proportions of the two constituents vary according to the purpose for which the alloy is produced. It oxidizes very slowly, even when the air is moist, which renders it well adapted for statues and similar works of art. Bronze was in use in ancient China, Egypt, Assyria, Europe and Mexico. The tin used in parts of the or implements, the working of metal being as yet unknown. Then weapons were made of bronze, the method of alloying the two metals having been discovered, but that of working in iron being ing undiscovered . Finally iron took the place of bronze. These views have been generally ad adopted by geologists and archæologists, though some believe an age of copper to have intervened between those of stone and bronze. Lake dwellings of the bronze period have been found in western and central Switzerland, and one has been discovered in the Lake of Constance. Geologically, even the stone age belongs only to the recent period.
The Encyclopedia of Founding (1892)
A mixed metal, consisting chiefly of copper with a small proportion of tin, and sometimes of other metals. It is used for casting statues, bells, guns, and numerous other articles, in all of which the ingredients are of varying proportions. For a description of the various bronzes, see ALUMINUM-BRONZE; PHOSPHOR-BRONZE; MANGANESE-BRONZE; STATUARY; BELLS; DEOXIDIZED BRONZE; VINEGAR-BRONZE; GUN-METAL, and other bronzes. Also, COPPER; TIN; ZINC; FONTAINEMOREAU'S BRONZES; JAPANESE BRONZE-WORK. Bronzing Liquids. See STAINS FOR METALS.