The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-26 00:00:00

The year 1849 is the jubilee of this most useful, most meritorious,
and most carefully compiled work of reference. It is now just half a
century since the " Post-office London Directory" first became a
candidate'for public favour, and for many years it waged an unequal
war-with other-publications of-a similar character. Fortunately,
hok4ver, for the.piiblic, it became, in 1836, the property of its -pre-
ient proprietor, who, with. that energy and enterprise .which, in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, commands success, determined
to make it in reality whatit was in name—a direptory and gu;de to
streets, the professtons, and the trades of Lond .11—to make it a
mirror of the metropoalig the commercia. Weed. To accomplish
this; either pains norWinse were sparedl the work was extended

to nearly dolible the usual size, accuracy was secured by establishing

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a system of collecting information, and a system of checking and
comparing the results of the information thus collected. A mao of
London was added; and thus the " Post-office London Directory,"
by the grbateeextent and greater accuracy of its information, and by
the mere lucid arrangement of its contents, was enabled to drive
0 every rival from the field. -

THE TIMES, NOVEMBER 30, 1848

The volume for the approaching; year, 1849, being the 50th volume
flits publication, has just been published by Messrs. Kelly and Co.,
of 0:d Boswell•court. This volume contains all the matter which
enriched those of the present and preceding years, with all such hn-
p-ovements as increased activity of research and careful itivestiga-
Om can supply. It appears to Ise as accurate a compilation for the
offices, trades, occupations, and residences of thousands of persons
as the most minute inquiry and the most methodical arrangement
can furnish. Perhaps no book more effectually answers the purposes
for which it is intended than this does. It is necessarily a bulky
volume ; but its bulk, co trary to the general rale, is an advantage,
and it may be said to contain no superfluous pages whatever. It is
well printed, and well get up, and has a map of London proflxed to
it, which will be found useful. The proprietor hrs had for many
years an arduous task in carrying out his object, but his labours have
`erminated in complete success. He has conferred a benefit on the
Public, and it is their duty, as well as their interest, to patronise his
work.

MORNING HERALD, Novxmaxa 30, 1848.
This stupendous and indispensable book has, with honourable
panctuality, again made its appearance, having complete 1 50 year.
of its existence—a lapse of time that has imperceptibly added to the
experience of those who have been engaged in its production, and
given it, by the accumulation of resources, every conceivable feature
of utility. Although comprising such a myriad of isolated facts, il-
lustrative of the commercial and pralessionsd pursuits of the inhabi-
tanti of this'vast metropolis, we do not re nember any case of error,
and the care which has thus been bestowed upon its preparation has
established it as an authoritative Directory of the capital of Great
Britain, laughing ivalry to scorn. Ho* such an enormous body of
specific intelligence could be got together at all is a matter of wonder,
but how the masses of detail brought in (zan„ the army of labourers
employed to collect it could hive been so adroit ;y digested, and placed
In a shape so immediately adapted for xt4rence. Is moye ,-urprising
still. There, however, is a book oflip ar Is of two thousand royal
octavo pages, taking the whole of Londen•within its grasp, and exhi-
biting its streets and the avocations of its residents, in treble alpha-
bet, whereby the convenience of the searcher after an unknown
"whereabouts" is met at all points. The " Post-office Directory" is,
in short, a nioninneht 'oe most valuable enterprise, .and achieved, as
It now is, 1/3, private machinery, withant the aid that was f:rmerly
accorded it by the -etter carriers, presents a matchless example of
Well-directed diligence and perseverance.
The arrangements of the present volume are similar to those which
have distinguished the work for the last two or three years, the com-
pleteness which the proprietor has accomplished hardly admitting of
any flarther extension. We find, however, that the entire surface of
the metropolis has been revised, and such alterations made that
changes of address and the opening of new establishments rendered
necessary, while the suburban neighbourhoods, which are generally
swelling into importan^e and becoming tresa hives of :human exist-
ence and human industry, are vigi airily detected and submitted to
the governing modes of analysis.