The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-29 00:00:00

TIMES, January 9, 1846.

This volume unlike many others, as it Increases in bulk, increases
correspondently in value ; thus every succeeding edition is more
valuable than its predecessors, and the book of 1846 contains more
information than the book of 1845:- The vOlume for the current
year surpasses anything of a similar kind that has ever been offered
to the public as a guide-book to the names, occupations, professions,
and habitations of the hundreds of thousands of the inhabitants of
London, or that has ever yet been issued from the press. In it,
whoever has a "local habitation and a name" is noted down—that
is, if he be a housekeeper, an office-keeper, or the proprietor or
keeper of anything beyond a furnished lodging or the humble oc-
cupant of an attic. There is an " Official Directory," a " Street
Directory," a " Trades' Directory," a " Law Directory," a
" Court Directory," a " Parliamentary Directory," a " Postal Di-
rectory," a " City Directory," a " Conveyance Directory," a
" Banking Director;," and a mass of other matter, explanatory of
many things which are fleet- sary to be known, and which are net to
be found collected together and easily accessible in any other volume.
This is the 47th annual publication of the work, whieh is now so fully
established in public estimation, for the accuracy and multi-
plicity of its intelligence, requisite for every class and for every
day, that to be without it is almost an imputation on the common
sense of all persons connected with the trade of London or the
common business of life.

MORNING HERALD, December 27, 1845.

This excellent work, the 47th edition of which has just reached us,
keeps pace with the commercial requirements of the times. The
" Post Office Directory" of some twelve years since, and the " Post
Office Directory" for the coming year present a remarkable contrast.
Then it was confined to a meagre list of names, comprised within a
circle of two or three miles, and might hare been put very conveniently
into one's coat pocket. Year after year it has increased in size, and
added various and valuable stores of information to its columns ; its
huqdreds of pages have grown into thousands, and it now embraces
the metropolis and its suburbs, from north to south, east and west,
and comprises within its voluminous pages of information (now
absolutely indispensable to the merchant and tradesman) an
" Official Directory," a " Street Directory," a " Commercial
Directory," a " Trades' Directory," a " Law Directory," a "Court
Directory," a "Parliamentary Directory," a "Postal Directory,"
a " City Directory," a " Conveyance Directory," a " Banking
Directory," and a variety of other copious lists of information,
the mere transcription of which would occupy considerable time.
Its list of " Provincial Inns" extends over 31 pages of three columns
eack ; its " Post Office London Official Directory" over 48 pages,
twenty-eight of which are of four and twenty of two columns each ;
its "Street Directory" 472 pages of three columns each; its
" Commercial and Professional Directory" 504 pages of two colnmns
each ; its " Trade Directory " 623 pages of three columns each ; its
" Law Directory " 64 pages ; " Court Directory " 110 pages ;
" Parliamentary Directory " 36 pages ; " Postal Directory " (most
elaborately compiled) 67 pages, &c. This portion of the work has
been much enlarged and improved. It now supplies us with the
hour of delivery of the London letters at each town and village in
the Utlited Kingdom at which there is a Post-office or Receiving-
house, and the time at which the letter-box for London closes at
each place ; also the distance of each from the post town through
which the London letters are transmitted. We also observe that the
valuable Map of London, which has for some years past accompanied
the volume, and which has been frequently much improved, is ren•
tiered still more valuable in the present edition. The names of each
street are most distinctly printed, and we hesitate not to state that
it is one of the best Maps of London extant. The Work is printed
in a clear bold type. We cats scarcely think it requires special re-
commendation, for no man who rea ly has business to transact can
well do without it.

MORNING CHRONICLE, Jan. 17, 124 *.

The annual volume just published of this laborious and valuable
work deserves the same meed of approbation which has been so de-
servedly bestowed upon its predecessors. In mere size, it is con-
siderably larger than any of them, not only by the introduction of
new information, but in consequence of the yearly growth of the me-
tropolis, to the avocations and whereabouts of whose inhabitants it is
intended to form the " directory." The enormous multitude of facts
which are condensed in the bulky volume before us is really over-
whelming ; yet they are not more than are requisite to make the
dwellers in our overgrown city duly acquainted with one another's
business and residencrs. The facts are presented In the same available
form, and with the same attention to accuracy and recentness of in-
formation which characterise the volume for 1845, and rendered it a
model of perfection as a directory. We observe some useful ad-
ditions to the contents of the present publication, especially in the
section devoted to the Post•office arrangements, which are so rapidly
becoming extended and complicated under the double impulse of
new railways and the penny postage.
MORNING ADVERTISER, Dec. 24, 1845.

This work, published by Kelly and Co., which has now made its
annual appearance for forty-seven 3 ears, is decidedly one of the most
-usethl works of the day. It contains an immense amount of inibr-
mation of the greatest importance to all in any way connected wth
the metropolis. It comprises among other Information, an " Official
Directory," a "Street Directory," a "Commercial Directory," a
"Trades' Directory," a " T.aw Directory," a "Court Directory," a
" Parliamentary Directory," a "City Directory," a "Postal Direc-
tory," a "Conveyance Directory," and a " Bank Directory." Under
these various divisions will be found masses of information, com-
bining the attributes of accuracy and completeness. The amount of
labour bestowed on the compilation of this work must necessarily
have been very great, and nothing but a liberal pi tronago Irons the
public could remunerate the enterprising proprietors for their outlay
and labour. The " Post-office London Directory" is singularly cheap,
considering the nature and quantity of the information it contains.
It extends to no fewer than 2,000 large closely-printed pages, in
double and treble columns. All things considered, we look upon it
as the cheapest, as assuredly it is the most valuable and useful,
annual work which emanates from the press of England. The map
accompanying it appears to us to be much improved ; it is certainly
equally excellent and perfect.
WEEKLY DISPATCH, Dec. 28, 1845.
_ _

This colossal guide to the great metropolis is a striking illustration
of the results of British perseverance properly directed, and British
capital judiciously employed. For many years the French " Al-
manack of Fifty Thousand Addres'es" was considered one of the
wonders of the world ; but the Messrs. Kelly have achieved a work
which may be aptly termed a wonder upon wonders. Large
though the volume be, the mass of information contained in it is
traly surprising ; and every department is arranged with so much
care, judgment, and accurate discrimination, that the business of
reference to its pages is as plain and simple as to a dictionary or
lexicon, whose scheme is alphabetical. We have, in this volume,
" Official," " Street," " Commercial," " Trades' " " Law," " Court,"
" Parliamentary," " Postal," " City," " Conveyance," and " honk-
ing Directories." But these heads only comprise a portion of the
information contained in the work. There are other departme,ts
which will be found invaluable to the commercial public. The fol-
lowing extract from the preface should be quoted :—" The advan-
tages possessed by the proprietor are of no ordinary character; the
most important being the means placed at his disposal through the
favour of her Majesty's Postmaster-General. The General Post
letter-carriers, under the direction of his Lordship, collect, each in
his own district, the information from which the volume is compiled.
Te ensure accuracy in such a book, the collection of the information
should be simultaneous ; and how completely this is effected, is
proved by the fact that an intelligent letter-carrier performs within
twenty-four hours all the duties annually required of him for the
purposes of the Post Office London Directory." We need not
add any recommendation of this work ; its reputation is established
on a solid basis.