New International Encyclopedia

Characteristics and format

Typical features of the encyclopedia included alphabetically arranged entries of varying length, illustrations, and maps. Treatment ranged from short factual notices to longer analytical articles on important topics. Editorial practice emphasized clarity and practical information rather than exhaustive scholarly apparatus.

• Multi-volume general encyclopedia intended for general reference
• Combination of short definitions and longer, thematic articles
• Use of illustrations and maps to supplement text

History and development

Prepared at the turn of the 20th century, the work was associated with American publishers and editors who sought to update and consolidate earlier nineteenth-century cyclopedic traditions. The project produced several revised editions and reprints over the following decades; the last edition bearing the title was published in 1935. Throughout its run it reflected contemporary concerns, discoveries, and the educational expectations of its readership.

Uses, influence, and legacy

For many libraries, schools, and households in the early 1900s the New International served as a primary ready reference. It was used for homework, general research, and quick factual consultation. Over time it was supplanted by later encyclopedias and updated commercial series, but it remains a useful historical source for the language, priorities, and understanding of its period.

Notable facts and distinctions

Editors and contributors were often figures active in journalism and scholarship of the time, and the set was part of a broader American tradition of popular encyclopedias. Many editions published before mid-century are now in the public domain and appear in digitized collections, where they are consulted by historians, genealogists, and others researching early 20th-century perspectives.