Art, A 19th Century Definition

I was graciously given the first book of a set of encyclopedias, Chambers Encyclopedia of Universal Knowledge, by a dear friend.  This hardbound set was published in 1892 (not to be confused with 1982), and presumably, has been handed down from generation-to-generation since its publication.  I've found little information online about this 19th-century reference series, which, from my non-extensive online searches, appears to still be in production...in this century.

An excerpt from the entry on art, which, I think, deeply resonates with creative minds:

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Old-time books thrill me.  The imperfect printing of letters and words; their musty, times-of-old scent; the meticulous binding.  Bent hardcover corners and fallen pages do not deter me, nor does the gentle crackling of pages when I slowly open the text, exposing the delicate, time-worn pages inside.  Even just imagining two centuries worth of people opening and closing the encyclopedia, seeking immense joy and sheer excitement in reading and learning its time period-specific passages, is simply enough to fill me with a wordless contentment.  This, my friends, is all over a book.
 

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Lastly, for now, a little bit of shop promoting:

For sale in my shop as a three-print set