Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography

The Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography was a biographical dictionary of the nineteenth century, published by William Mackenzie in Glasgow.

The second edition, which was published in 1876, was released in two sets. One was a set of 28 volumes (parts), priced at 4 shillings each. The other set was in 14 volumes (divisions), in elegant cloth, bevel boards, cut edges, and priced at 10 shillings each.

Publication
The Dictionary was issued by part publication, and its first edition appeared from 1857 to 1863. In collected form (1863) there were three volumes, originally issued in 16 parts. A later edition appeared from 1876.

Staff and writers
The Imperial Dictionary was edited by John Francis Waller from 1857 to 1866; Patrick Edward Dove was general editor for the first 20 numbers, John Service was on the editorial staff 1858 to 1862, acting as sub-editor under Dove. Also involved editorially were William John Macquorn Rankine, Francis Bowen, John Eadie, and John Pringle Nichol.

A list of contributors appeared in the first volume, and a further list in volume II.

• William Lindsay Alexander

• Archibald Allison

• Joseph Angus

• John Anster

• Thomas Arnold

• William Baird

• John Hutton Balfour

• Hugh Barclay

• Thomas Spencer Baynes

• John Relly Beard,

• Edwin Beedell

• Henry Glassford Bell

• Hugh Blackburn

• John Stuart Blackie

• Francis Bowen

• W. B. Boyce

• David Brewster

• J. H. Browne

• Baroness Blaze de Bury

• John Hill Burton

• William Hookham Carpenter

• J. F. Corkran

• George Lillie Craik

• J. P. Darney

• Samuel Davidson

• Joshua Frederick Denham

• M. Desmarest

• Benjamin Disraeli

• James Donaldson

• J. W. Doran

• Patrick Edward Dove

• John Eadie

• John Edmond

• Karl Elze

• Francis Espinasse,

• Patrick Fairbairn

• James Frederick Ferrier

• William Fleming

• Alexander Campbell Fraser

• Samuel H. Gael

• William Gammell

• Robert Grant

• William Alexander Greenhill

• Felix John Hamel

• James Hamilton

• Robert Harrison

• Eben Norton Horsford

• Mary Howitt

• William Howitt

• William Hughes

• Thomas Jackson

• Robert Kane

• Edwin Lankester

• William Leitch

• Peter Lorimer

• Edmund Law Lushington

• William Maccall

• James M'Cosh

• George Alexander Macfarren.

• John Maclean

• Norman Mcleod

• James Ormiston McWilliam

• Augustus Caesar Marani

• William Allen Miller

• George Moore

• John Daniel Morell

• Thomas Boyles Murray

• John Pringle Nichol

• John Nichol

• C. G. Nicholay

• James O'Dowd

• R. S. Oldham

• John G. Palfrey

• Frederick Penny

• Francis Pulszky

• William John Macquorn Rankine

• Edward Francis Rimbault

• Henry Darwin Rogers

• William Howard Russell

• Aurelio Saffi

• R. Siegfried

• Alexander Smith

• Robert Angus Smith

• J. Storer Smith

• Hugh Stowell

• James Summers

• William Symington

• Isaac Taylor,

• James Taylor.

• James Emerson Tennent

• Robert Dundas Thomson

• Walter Thornbury

• James Thorne

• John Tulloch

• Robert Vaughan

• John Veitch

• John Francis Waller

• John Washington

• Francis Cornelius Webb

• W. Webster

• Charles Richard Weld

• Robert Willis

• Horace Hayman Wilson

• Ralph N. Wornum

Other contributors included:

There were engravings included by William Thomas Fry, James Thomson, and Richard Woodman.
 * John Merry Ross,
 * Christina Rossetti on Petrarch, and numerous other Italians
 * William Michael Rossetti,
 * Algernon Charles Swinburne,