Introduction

This exhibit describes the story and history of the Encyclopédie collection, as well as its endangerment in the mid 17^th century. The Encyclopédie had several contributors, but the project was started and finished by its primary editor, Denis Diderot. His goal was to compile all general knowledge on the arts, sciences, and crafts into a written encyclopedia collection for the public to access and learn from.

This exhibit features a few pages and illustrations from the collection. The texts were written from a perspective that was critical of the government and religion in France, and instead promoted independent thinking. Due to the fear of rising anti-monarch and anti-religious ideas in the French population, the entire collection was banned for a period in France by King Louis XV in 1759. The complete printed collection was eventually published in 1772 after facing many challenges and controversy over the years.