Chambers
Chambers names 3 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Chambers William and Robert
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
William and Robert, two Scottish brothers, well known as publishers and writers. They were born at Peebles, Scotland; William, in 1800, Robert in 1802. They both died at Edinburgh; Robert in 1871, William in 1883. Robert was designed for the church, but his parents were unable to give him the necessary education. Although poor, the family possessed a few books, among them a copy of the first edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. There was also a small circulating library in the town. The brothers made all possible use of these books. The family removed to Edinburgh while the boys were still quite young. At the age of sixteen Robert opened a humble book-stall, his entire stock in trade being the old books which had belonged to his father. At the same time, his brother William conducted a similar but distinct business elsewhere. These were the small beginnings of the later well known publishing firm of W. and R. Chambers. The brothers issued penny leaflets of useful information for the people, written in a clear, pleasing style. These became popular, and led to the establishment by William in 1832 of a regular periodical, Chambers's Journal. Robert soon became joint editor, and wrote nearly all of the leading articles. Traditions of Edinburgh was the first published work which brought him into general notice. Thereafter, either alone or conjointly with his brother, he wrote and compiled a large number of works relative to the antiquities, history, literature, and industries of Scotland. His most important works are Life of Robert Burns in four volumes, A Cyclopedia of English Literature , The Book of Days, and Domestic Annals of Scotland. Chambers's Encyclopedia for the People was an outgrowth of the Journal, and was edited by the brothers. It is probably the best thing of the sort ever published. William Chambers, besides the work done in connection with Robert, published several books on various subjects. Things as They Are in America, American Slavery and Color, and France: Its History and Revolution are among them. Both brothers were remarkable men, notable examples of achievement in the domain of letters made by those with little so-called education, but with the natural love of books and learning. Robert Chambers said in his later years, "Books, not playthings, filled my hands in childhood." The child proved father to the man.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
WILLIAM, a Scotch prosewriter and editor, brother and partner of Robert, born in Peebles, April 16, 1800. He wrote "Things as They Are in America" (1854); "American Slavery and Color" (1857); "France, its History and Revolutions" (1871); "Stories of Old Families and Remarkable Persons" (1878). He also compiled a "Hand Book of American Literature" (1857). He died in Edinburgh, May 20, 1883.
Chambers (CHARLES) HADDON
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
(CHARLES) HADDON, an English playwright, born at Stanmore, New South Wales, in 1860. He was educated in the public schools of Sydney, Australia, and privately. He was engaged for several years in the Civil Service of New South Wales and was later a stockrider. In 1882 he removed to England and engaged in journalism. He developed marked talent as a writer of plays and many of his productions were giv given successfully in England and the United States. They include "Captain Swift"; "John a' Dreams"; "The Tyranny of Tears"; "The Impossible Woman," and "The Days of the Duke."
Chambers ROBERT WILLIAM, an American artist and novelist
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
ROBERT WILLIAM, an American artist and novelist, born in Long Island, N. Y., 1865. He was one of the most prolific writers of fiction. Much of his work appeared in magazines. He wrote: "The King in Yellow"; "The Red Republic"; "A King and a Few Dukes"; "Cardigan"; "Lorraine"; "The Fighting Chance"; "The Firing Line"; "The Green Mouse"; "Streets of Ascalon"; "The Girl Philippa"; "The Restless Sex"; "The Crimson Tide," etc.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Aiton's 1910 sketch of the brothers praises Robert's Scottish antiquarian books but passes over the work he is now best remembered for: he was the anonymous author of "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation" (1844), the evolutionary bestseller that prepared the ground for Darwin, and which was publicly credited to him in an 1884 edition. The family firm outlasted both accounts by a long way — Chambers's Journal ran until 1956 and Chambers's Encyclopaedia to its last edition in the 1970s, while the Chambers Dictionary survived into the twenty-first century under corporate owners rather than the family. Collier's 1921 note on Robert William Chambers calls him "one of the most prolific writers of fiction"; his society novels are forgotten, but the early horror collection "The King in Yellow" (1895), which Collier's lists first almost in passing, became a cult text and was revived for a wide audience by the television series True Detective in 2014. Haddon Chambers, listed as a living playwright, died that same year, 1921, leaving behind the phrase "the long arm of coincidence" from "Captain Swift."
Written for this edition, 2026.