Official descriptive and illustrated catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851.

Published "By authority of the Royal Commission", this catalogue was issued in 5 parts, and in a 3 volume edition; the binding design of the five part issue differs from that of the 3 volume edition. The lithographed plates have the imprint of Day & Son; the printers of the catalogues were 'William Clowes and Sons, printers to the Royal Commission, Stamford Street and Charing Cross.' Introductory and explanatory matter was by Henry Cole, M. Digby Wyatt and Robert Ellis; classification scheme by Lyon Playfair.

The five parts are organised as follows:

Part I: Introductory and Section I. Raw materials, Classes 1 to 4. [Noted on title-page of copy in this library, 'Third Edition']

Part II: Section II. Machinery, classes 5 to 10

Part III: Section III, Manufactures, classes 11 to 29. Section IV, Fine Arts, class 30

Part IV: Colonies - Foreign States, Division I

Part V: Foreign States - Division II, and Index

Part V also includes a title-page for Volume I and the Preface for Volume I by Robin Ellis; a title-page and 'Contents of Volume the Second'; and a title-page and 'Contents of Volume the Third.'

The three volume version contained: Vol. 1. Index and introductory. Section I: Raw materials, classes 1 to 4. Section II: Machinery, classes 5 to 10 -- Vol. 2. Section III: Manufactures, classes 11 to 29. Section IV: Fine Arts, class 30. Colonies -- Vol. 3. Foreign states.