PREFACE.

vi

While an amount of order—surprising in its extent, though imperfect in thedegree requisite for the publication of a work so costly in its preparation as thepresent—reigned on the British side of the Building, the state of that devotedto other nations could scarcely be entitled to that term until a month subsequentto the day of opening. Many foreign states had not sent in their catalogues,and the arrangement of their productions was very imperfect.

The peculiar nature of the Catalogue, also, as a work produced by manythousand authors, naturally brought upon it, through the medium of the smallCatalogue, the corrections of a large number of those whose manuscripts formedits foundation, in addition to those rendered necessary, in order to obtain somedegree of uniformity in the literary composition.

The combination of the elements of disorder thus presented has never beforearisen to oppose the publication of any work in this or other times ; and its effectupon its preparation is only to be estimated by those who have watched itsprogress, and are familiar with the complicated arrangements necessarily precedingthe production of any printed book containing illustrations. The great extent ofthe Catalogue rendered the disturbance of any of its parts absolutely fatal to itspublication in a reasonable time, and even in a moderate condition of accuracy.In the midst of all these adverse circumstances an attempt was made to publishit as speedily as possible after the opening of the Exhibition; but this attemptwas rendered fruitless in consequence of the ceaseless accessions of additionalmatter, and of the alterations of position in that already set up.

Under these circumstances the Contractors, anxious to produce so extensivea work in as perfect a condition as possible, resolved, at considerable loss to them-selves, to delay its appearance until every alteration of importance had beenmade in the arrangement of the Building and by Exhibitors themselves. In thisstate it is now published, and is intended to serve as a lasting memorial of thesplendid collection of which it professes to be the exponent. When its magnitudeis considered, and due regard had to the great difficulties inseparable from theproduction of an illustrated book of this kind, it must be acknowledged that theperiod occupied in its publication has been comparatively brief and its prepa-ration rapid.

The due appearance of the smaller Catalogue, on the first of May,—initself, perhaps, one of the most remarkable instances of rapid typographical exe-cution ever accomplished,—is also an indication of the substantive pre-existence ofthe present work before that date, since the smaller Catalogue is only a verycondensed summary of the present, and was derived from the material forming