OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIVE AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
13
show, both by their accuracy, completeness, and theirgeneral execution, that the Commissioners have everyreason to be satisfied with their having intrusted thepreparation of the Catalogues to Messrs. Spicer andClowes.
Appendix No. XXVII. contains a statement furnishedby the contractors, showing the extent of the sale of thedifferent Catalogues, and other works illustrative of theExhibition, which they were authorized to sell in theBuilding.
Statistics of the Catalogues, extracted from the Appendix to the First Report of the Royal Commission.
Trades necessary for the production of the Catalogues.
Type-Founders.Printers’ Joiners.Iron-Founders.Paper-makers.Wholesale Stationers.Letter-Press Printers.
Printing-ink Makers.Composition-roller Makers.Engravers on Wood.Lithographic Printers.Hot-Pressers.
Bookbinders.
Type-Founding. The first step towards the mechanicalproduction of the Catalogues was the preparation of typeon a scale commensurate with the magnitude of the un-dertaking. Two sizes were selected—one for the SmallCatalogue and the French and German translations; theother for the Illustrated Catalogue. Of each of thesetypes it was estimated that not less than six tons would berequired ; making a total of twelve tons, to be manufac-tured within the short space of six weeks.
As these works progressed, a larger supply was foundnecessary. New works illustrative of the Exhibition werecontemplated: and the supply of new type was eventuallyincreased to 37 tons, in addition to the usual resources oftlie house. The cost of this large quantity of type andother necessary material amounted to above £6,000. And,adding the quantity required for the Report of the Commis-sioners and for the Jury Reports, a weight amounting tonearly 48 tons was set apart for the service of the Exhibitionof 1801.
The following Table shows the Quantity and Value ofNew Type manufactured, and used for each Publication:—
Title of 'Work.
Weight
in lbs.
i\u inner orTypesrequired foreach Work.
Small Official Catalogue—F.nglish -
5
664
3
877
008
Ditto Ditto French -
5"
712
3
909
864
4
604
3
103
460
Synopsis of Contents of the Building
425
202
400
425
202
400
Popular Guide -----
984
210
944
Index to Official Catalogue - -
2
780
1
555
710
Priced Lists ------
5
376
4
199
062
Hunt’s Hand-Book — — — —
4
114
2_
301
120
Plans of the Building equal to - —
195
225
888
Key to the Catalogue- — — —
31
19
200
Illustrated Catalogue - - - -
28
210
17
345
120
Reports and Awards by the Juries )(large tvpe) (
30
107
11
513
336
Ditto Ditto (small type)-
14
124
8
903
280
Report of Commissioners - - -
3
752
i
s->4
0S4
The printers of the Catalogues are type-founders as wellas printers, and by working night and* day, with relays ofhands, they produced a great portion of this quantitythemselves : the assistance of other founders, however,was necessary ; and the Messrs. Miller and Richard ofEdinburgh, and the respective firms of Besley, Caslon ,and Figgins, of London , supplied the remainder.
As an illustration of the amount of type in use in thevarious publications, it may be observed that the combinedquantity would be equal to the printed surface of 116siugle Times' newspapers.
A great subdivision of labour is necessary in the manu-facture of type : the persons employed are usually in theproportion of 5 men to 3 boys. The following statementshows tlie weight of four descriptions of type manufac-tured in one week by 20 men and 12 boys, and the numberof separate types in each quantity :—
3G0 lbs. Small Pica, equal 124,720 separate types.
240 „ Bourgeois, ,, 122,880 „
190 „ Brevier, „ 113,280 „
1C8 „ Minion, ,, 109,200 ,,
Although type is much lower in price now than it wassome few years back, it is still an expensive article, notso much from the cost of the raw material—a compoundoflead, antimony, and tin—as from the amount ot labournecessary for its production, five operations being requiredto complete a single type ; while, from its natural softness,and the heavy pressure of the machine in printing, it soonwears out. In the case of the small English Catalogue,from the large number of copies printed, the value liasbeen deteriorated at least CO per cent.
The price of type varies according to its size ; each pageof the small English Catalogue cost 20s. 6jrf. t and ot theIllustrated Catalogue 21s. 9 id. Large as these prices mayappear, they are exceedingly low, when compared withthe average market price, and are such as could only heobtained by contracting for the manufacture of largequantities.
Paper. —The manufacture of paper includes a varietyof processes—from the sorting of the rags to the productionof a complete sheet of paper. Twosizesonly were necessary,described as super-royal and double-foolscap: tlie folding ofthe sheet into 4, 8, and 16, forming the-different-sizedhooks. For the convenience and economy of printing thesmall Catalogue, the double-foolscap was, however, madeinto four sizes, the sheets folding into 8, 12, 16, and 24leaves. Tlie Synopsis, consisting of 96 pages, was printedon one of these large sheets, at one impression. The entirequantity of paper manufactured was 338 tons; and itsproduction required labour equal to 338 hands (men andwomen) for three months. Messrs. Spicer Brothers,(Wholesale Stationers.) joint contractors in the productionof the Catalogues, supplied the whole of the paper ; and soefficient were their arrangements with the various millsengaged in its manufacture, that not a single failure oc-curred in the appointed times of delivery.
The small Official Catalogue, with its cover, before theedges were cut, weighed 1 lb.; the duty on each copy wastherefore or jlth the selling price: equal to 12^ percent, on the cost of the Catalogues, but 21 per cent, on themanufacture of the paper.
Compiling and Printing. —The Catalogue Forms issuedto the Exhibitors (in order that they might supply theirown descriptions of the articles exhibited) were printedin four colours, representing the four great divisions ofthe Exhibition ; on the receipt of those forms they wereexamined by the compilers, who made such alterations asthey considered requisite ; determined, to the best of theirjudgment, the Class to which the article exhibited moreespecially belonged ; and forwarded the returns thuscorrected to the printers. On Jan. 30 the first portion ofthese returns was placed in the hands of the compositors,and speedily set up in type for the Illustrated Catalogue :keeping each of the four divisions separate ; and dis-tinguishing, by a figure at the end of the last line of eacharticle, the presumed Class to which it belonged. Proofsof these returns were forwarded from time to time to thecompilers, who examined them as to their general correct-ness, and returned them to the printer for such emenda-tions as were necessary: these effected, 30 proofs wereprinted, and forwarded to the Executive; to the editor,who transmitted copies to the various annotators: to thecompiler of the small Catalogue, in order that the descrip-tions might be reduced; and to the French and German translators, for the same purpose of reduction ami trans-lation. Ten weeks now had elapsed—the 26th of Aprilhad arrived—'the whole of the exhibitors’ returns received