A few words about l’Encyclopédie … with notes taken from Robert Darnton’s The Business of Enlightenment: a publishing history of the Encyclopédie 1775-1800.
Knowing the various editions of the book is difficult enough. Understanding the circulation of the Encyclopédie is another hurdle. And finally, demystifying the publishers, their contracts, their privileges and their rights is enough to drive the average reader to distraction. Robert Darnton has provided a summary of all of this information in his book mentioned above. It is recommended reading for anyone studying the publishing history of the Encyclopédie. I cannot reprint what is contained in the book for legal reasons, but will provide a basic summary and encourage the reader to seek out Darnton’s book. The information from Darnton’s volume will be helpful for readers in understanding the digitized texts below as it provides contextual information regarding the Encyclopédie‘s history.
(1) The Paris folio 1751-1772. (A folio is a volume is typically 38 cm or more in height, the largest sort of regular book). Consisting of 17 volumes of text issued 1751-1765 and 11 volumes of plates 1762-1772. Publishers: Le Breton, David, Briasson, Durand. Press run: 4,225 copies. Original subscription price: 280 livres, but eventually reached 980 livres. There was a supplement added to the Paris printing consisting of four folio volumes of text and one volume of plates published in Paris and Amsterdam in 1776 and 1777 followed by a Table Analytique (2 volumes) in 1780.
(2) The Geneva folio 1771-1776. A reprint of the first edition in a press run of 2,150. Subscription price: 840 livres.
(3) The Lucca folio 1758-1776. Press run: 1,500 copies. Price: 737 livres. Directed by Ottaviano Diodati.
(4) The Leghorn folio 1770-1778. Last of the folio reprints. 1,500 copies at a cost of 574 livres. Published by Giuseppe Aubert.
(5) The Geneva and Neuchâtel quartos 1777-1779. (A quarto is typically 23 cm by 30 cm, roughly the size of most modern magazines). Containing 36 volumes of text and 3 volumes of plates. Cost: 384 livres. Press run: 8,525 copies. Published by a consortium of: Joseph Duplain, Pancoucke, the Société Typographique de Neuchâtel, Clément Plomteux, Gabriel Regnault and some minor partners.
(6) The Lausanne and Bern octavos (An octavo is typically 13 to 15 cm by 20 to 23 cm, or about the size of a modern trade paperback). An expanded edition with a press run of 5,500 – 6,000 copies. Subscriptions cost 225 livres . They consisted of 36 volumes of texts and 3 volumes of plates.
Also note that a single edition, at least in the first three printings, was printed by two different printers in two different countries (France and Switzerland). Thus, imprints differ though the volumes together form a single edition. This was as a result of a business arrangement between a French business partner, Duplain, a French publisher, Panckoucke, and a Swiss printer, the Société Typographique de Neuchâtel.
Darnton has also provided a summary of the number of copies of the Encyclopédie circulating in France and around Europe before the French revolution (1789). Briefly:
All editions in all areas: 23,400 copies circulating throughout Europe.
All editions in France: 11,507 copies circulating.
All editions outside of France: 12,054 circulating.
Which means a lot of copies were being read and circulating in Europe at the end of the 18th century.
*****
Texts
Prefatory material describing the origins of the Encyclopédie, ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers including information regarding its printing, publishing, distribution, sale, the editors’ difficulties, etc… has been digitized at Gallica. (1751 edition). The Table of contents feature allows direct entry into various sections.
The original map as well as a translation are available at the University of Michigan site.
Documents concernant l’Encyclopédie (from ARTFL) include the dates of publication of each volume, a chronology of the Encyclopédie, letters from Diderot’s publishers illustrating their attempts to help him while in prison, letters from Diderot to a Jesuit priest concerning the Encyclopédie, the history of the Encyclopédie as well we other primary documents related to its development.
First edition, Paris folio. Not all volumes have been digitized. The last ten volumes appeared under a false imprint of Neuchâtel, 1765.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome premier, A-Azyme. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris by Briasson, 1751. Note: includes the “Discours préliminaire.”
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome second, Azyme-Cezimbra. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris by Briasson, David (l’aîné), Le Breton & Durand, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome troisième, Cha-Conjonctif. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris by Briasson, David (l’aîné), Le Breton & Durand, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome quatrième, Conjonctif-Discussion. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris by Briasson, David (l’aîné), Le Breton & Durand, 1751-1765.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome cinquième, Discussion-Esquinancie. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris by Briasson, David (l’aîné), Le Breton & Durand, 1751-1765.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome sixième, ET-FN. Digitized by Internet Archive. Published in Paris by Briasson, David (l’aîné), Le Breton & Durand, 1756. Please Note: Slow loading.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome huitième, H-IT. Digitized by the Internet Archive. Published in Neufchastel, 1765. Please note: Slow loading.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome neuvième, Ju-Mam. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome douzième, Parl-Pol. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome treizième, Pom-Regg. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome quatorzième, Reggi-Sem. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome quinzième, Sen-Tch. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche & Compagnie, 1751-1765.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome seizième, Te-Venerie. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Tome dix-septième, Venerien-Z. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Neufchastel by Samuel Faulche, 1751-1756.
Plates from the first edition
Recueil de planches, sur les sciences, les arts libéraux, et les arts mécaniques, avec leur explication. Neuvième volume. Digitized by Google Books. Published in 1771 by Briasson, Paris.
Supplements to the first edition
These appeared in four folios of text and one folio of plates and was published in Paris and Amsterdam in 1776 and 1777, followed by a two-volume Table analytique in 1780.
Supplément à l’Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers”. Tome 1, A-Blomkrabbe. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Amsterdam by M. M. Rey, 1776-1777.
Supplément à l’Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers”. Tome 4, N-Z. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Amsterdam by M. M. Rey, 1776-1777.
Table analytique et raisonnée des matieres contenues dans les XXXIII volumes in-folio du “Dictionnaire des sciences, des arts et des métiers” et dans son “Supplément”... volume one (par Pierre Mouchon). Digitized by Gallica. Published in Paris and Amsterdam in 1780 by Panckoucke and M.M. Rey.
*****
The Geneva and Neuchâtel quarto edition (1777-1779). Its total press run was over 8,000. There was no separate supplement to this edition since the supplementary materials from previous printings were included in the main text.
The Internet Archive has digitized volumes 2 – 35, links below:
Plates from the Geneva and Neuchâtel edition (3 volumes)
Recueil de planches pour la nouvelle édition avec leur explication (1779), vol. 1. Digitized by the Sloan Foundation and the Boston Public Library and available at Internet Archive.
*****
Other editions
As I locate them online, I will add further editions to this list.
*****
Individual Articles
PHILOSOPHE written by César Chesneau Du Marsais in Volume 12, 1765. (translated by Dena Goodman)
Arithmétique politique [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Autorité politique [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Cité [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Citoyen [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Droit naturel [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Gens de lettres (par Voltaire.) Text from le site de la Société Diderot.
Hobbisme [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Irréligieux [Une réalisation de Denis Collin, bénévole, professeur agrégé de philosophie au Lycée Aristide Briand à Evreux (Eure), docteur ès lettres et sciences humaines.]
Musique by Rousseau (text from ARTFL).
Encyclopédie by Diderot. (text from ARTFL).
Responses
Apologie de la metaphisique, a l’occasion du discours préliminaire de l’Encyclopedie. Avec les sentimens de M*** sur la critique des Pensées de Pascal. By David Renaud Boullier. Digitized by Google for the Hathi Trust. Published in Amsterdam by Jean Catuffe, 1753.
Suite des erreurs sur la Musique dans l’Encyclopédie par Jean-Philippe Rameau. Digitized by Gallica. Published 1756-1757. This is a critique of Rousseau’s article MUSIQUE.
Réponse de M. Rameau à MM. les éditeurs de “l’Encyclopédie” sur leur dernier avertissement par Jean-Philippe Rameau. Digitized by Gallica. Published 1757 in London by S. Jorry. Rameau continues his public debate with the Encyclopedists regarding Rousseau’s article, MUSIQUE.
Lettre d’un professeur en Théologie d’une université Protestante à M. D’Alembert. Digitized by Gallica. Published in Strasbourg, 1759. Concerning the article GENÈVE. (also discusses reason, theology, protestantism).
*****
Online textual corpora
1. ARTFL Encyclopédie database: The Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de lettres was published under the direction of Diderot and d’Alembert, with 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates between 1751 and 1772. Containing 72,000 articles written by more than 140 contributors, the Encyclopédie was a massive reference work for the arts and sciences, as well as a machine de guerre which served to propagate the ideas of the French Enlightenment. The impact of the Encyclopédie was enormous. Through its attempt to classify learning and to open all domains of human activity to its readers, the Encyclopédie gave expression to many of the most important intellectual and social developments of its time.
2. The Encyclopedia of Diderot and d’Alembert Collaborative Translation (University of Michigan) : Project volunteers have translated several hundred articles from the encyclopedia into English.
La pensée des lumières 
Hi… please note that the University of Chicago version of the online Encyclopédie — http://encyclopedie.uchicago.edu/ — is the only version that continues to be updated and corrected. It is open to the public.