The New Werner Twentieth Century Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature, Science, History, Geography, Commerce, Biography, Discovery and Invention; Volume 26

The New Werner Twentieth Century Edition was produced in the early 1900s by the Werner Company of Akron, Ohio. This edition was released during a period of intense competition in the American encyclopedia market, following the expiration of the copyright for the ninth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Werner Company sought to capitalize on the prestige of the British publication while providing updated supplemental volumes to satisfy American readers looking for comprehensive reference material at the dawn of a new century.

The design of this series reflects the utilitarian aesthetic of Gilded Age reference publishing, featuring thick, durable bindings and dense, multi-column typesetting intended for frequent consultation in libraries and private studies. While the content draws heavily from the established scholarship of the time, the editorial approach was tailored to emphasize North American geography, industry, and biography. It remains a significant historical artifact representing the era's ambition to organize and document human knowledge in a standardized, accessible format.