2.2 Directories and other works

2.2.1 Trade Directories

 

The Eyre Brothers´ second recorded work, also published in 1877, is a Coal Trades´ Directory. Advertised in the Devon & Cornwall volume mentioned above (Fig. 7b.), this directory was available in two formats: Royal 8vo price 25/-; and in an Abridged Edition price 6/6. Additionally, advertisements in both The Wales Register and in a guide to Sussex (see below) announce that a series of trade directories will be ready for 1879. These are presented as Eyre´s London Directory-Diaries and were to cost 3/6 if ordered early and 4/6 after publication. The plan was to issue a series of Diaries (with two days to a page) specially for specific trades and each would contain a directory of that particular industry. Although the Coal Trades is not actually listed the advert finishes with the Eyre Bros.´ imprint as Publishers of the “Coal Trades´ Directory”. They had issued this the previous year and presumably believed there was a market for similar directory-diaries in the Engineering and Metal Trades, the Building Trades, the Leather Trades etc. The two adverts list nine trades in all (Fig. 7b. & 8.). Whatever the plan, only one copy of the Coal Trades´ Directory is known.[i]


 

Fig. 8. Advert for Eyre´s London Directory-Diaries from Eyre´s Guide to Sussex (1878).

 

The Coal Trades´ Directory directory contained all the important trades and professions connected with Coal and Iron throughout England, Scotland, and Wales (title page). Although the title page itself has no logo, this can be found on the (blue cloth) cover in gilt (see 4.2). It was an expensive volume at twenty-one shillings to subscribers and an extra 4/- to non-subscribers and covering every trade from Anvil and Vice Makers to Wire Rope Manufacturers in over 700 pages. According to the title page it had extra sections for Irish and Foreign manufacturers and merchants. There were separate classified lists for important towns (including Devonport and Plymouth) after county sections.


2.2.2 The Wales Register

 

The Eyre Brothers tried to take advantage of the increasing need for directories and a volume The Wales Register and Guide[ii] appeared in 1878 (Figs. 9a. & 9b.). It covered the whole of Wales beginning in the north with Anglesey. This work included maps of North Wales and South Wales, exactly as included in Philips´ Handy Atlas, i.e., with page number, George Phillip imprint and without any extra heading. In the Introduction, dated April 1878, they announce that the next issue will be ready early in 1880 but no 2nd edition is recorded.

This First Issue of The Wales Register (and probably the only issue) has no date on the title page but has Eyre Bros No. 10 address and the binder clearly dated the cover. The guide began with North Wales (pp. 5-178) and South Wales had its own pagination (pp. 5-238b), the whole liberally interspersed with advertisements and finishing with lists of Baronettage and Peerage, then the Bishops and an Appendix (pp. 250-266) and over 118 pages of adverts.

The Appendix was actually a clever way to include important towns on the Welsh border and Abergavenny in Monmouth, Chester, Newport and Shrewsbury are included.

 

 

Figs. 9a. Title Page from The Wales Register. 

In some ways the The Wales Register resembles the first issue of Watering Places … South. There is an attempt to satisfy two markets with one book. On the one hand, we have a descriptive account of each part of Wales and, on the other, the typical lists expected in a trade directory. This approach was a format that Kelly had successfully been using in his directories of the time and the Eyre Brothers may have had these directories as their model (see 3.4).

Chapter I - Anglesey – in North Wales (pages 5 – 13) is typical for the layout of the work: this is divided into 1. Coast Line and Size; 2. General Aspect; 3. Rivers; 4. Population and Industry; 5. Topography (with list of the Towns from Beaumaris to Aberffaw); and 6. History and Antiquities. After Chapter VII on The Internal Communication of North Wales is a larger Topography section. Page 64 of the first section, i.e., just before the North Wales Topography section, finishes with the printer´s signature: Printed by Philip and Son, Liverpool. The Topography section lists all towns alphabetically from Abenbury-Fawr to Yspytty with potted descriptions, list of traders, churches, population ad all the information a regular directory would include. 

 

Figs. 9b. Map of North Wales from The Wales Register (with Philip imprint and page number). 

The adverts in this guide give us an idea of another of the Eyre Brothers´ publishing ventures. One advertisement is for a guide to Paris and we are informed that: Eyre´s Popular Guide to Paris for 1878 is now ready. It could be had for just one shilling. Unfortunately, no copy has been located (Fig. 10.).

  

Fig. 10. Advert for a guide to Paris from The Wales Register. 

The Eyre Brothers advertised often in their later works. One of the first clues that there may be another publishing arm to the firm is an intriguing advert placed in the Watering Places (2nd edition) for three further directories. The Plymouth District Directory (see 2.4) appeared from 1880 with an Eyre imprint but we also find Butcher´s Cardiff and District and Butcher´s Swansea and District directories listed (Fig. 11.). The 2nd Edition of the Plymouth directory also included mention of these and there is an advert announcing that Butcher´s Post Office Cardiff District Directory 1882-83 (4th issue) is now ready. On pages 663 and 729 all of these directories are clearly listed with Eyre Bros., Publishers address. The name Butcher is significant and could reveal the identity of the Eyre Brothers themselves (see section 3 below).

 

 

Fig. 11. Advert for directories in Cardiff and Swansea. 

2.2.3 Eyre´s Shilling Guide

 

David Kingsley recorded an example of Eyre´s Shilling County Guide (title page), that of Sussex 1878 (Figs. 12a & 12b.).[iii] This was a substantial guide to the county running to 138 pages with six steel views and a county map. This guide “to the Seaside and Visiting resorts of Sussex” included historical descriptions of the most prestigious 12 towns including Brighton, Hastings and Lewes (all towns appearing in the first edition of The Watering Places). The Philips map included had the Eyre title at top and their London imprint below. No other counties have been recorded; however, the Seaside Resorts of Devon & Cornwall does have a list of publications and an advert for a mini-series and may have been part of it (Fig. 7b). The New Shilling Guide Books to Seaside and Visiting Resorts were to each contain a coloured map and four steel plates. Seven counties are listed with the other six being Kent, Hampshire, Devonshire, Somersetshire, Cornwall and Dorsetshire, i.e., only Gloucester is not included from the counties covered in the first edition of the Watering Places.

  

Fig. 12a. Eyre´s Shilling Guide to the Watering and Visiting Places of Sussex.

 Eyre´s Shilling County Guide included a six steel engraved views of Sussex. There were two views each of Brighton and Eastbourne with one view of Hastings and one of Worthing. All of the views are again from the company of Rock and four also appeared in The Watering Places … South.  Only the Brighton views are new: previously there had been a view of the Interior of the Aquarium at Brighton – this is replaced by one view of the Chain Pier and one of the West (or New) Pier. Advertising was important and no fewer than 46 advertisers are listed, including the Eyre Brothers themselves. 

Another publication that might have appeared but has not been found (apart from the Paris guide above) is The Stranger´s Guide to London. Advertised in the list mentioned above, it would include a map and be printed on crown 8vo format and cost just two pence (Fig. 7b). As noted above, there are adverts which reveal that the Eyre Brothers were agents for a well-known and well-renowned French business directory. Adverts in works prior to 1880 offer their readers the latest issue of Annuaire Didot-Bottin: claimed to be the world´s oldest and largest directory and the only directory of France ever published.  On sale at 30s for two volumes it was not cheap but its annual circulation was said to be some hundred thousand copies more than any other directory; something the Eyre Brothers could only dream about. 

 

Fig. 12b. Eyre´s Shilling Guide to Sussex - map of Sussex with Eyre imprint. 

The guide had a long history; the 1878 edition of Annuaire-Almanach du Commerce de l´Industrie … ou Almanach des 500,000 Adresses, being published by Chez Firmin-Didot et Cie in its 81st year. It was also used by British companies to advertise their wares, often with full page advertisements in French and the offer to accept correspondence in a number of European languages. The company Didot-Bottin formally amalgamated in 1881. The company still exists today but its emphasis has changed, recently publishing medical information.

Eyre Brothers adverts in the 2nd Edition of the Plymouth directory continue to promote the French directory but when W H Hood took over the Plymouth directory in 1890 these ceased to appear: although he advertised many Eyre products there are none for the French directory. It must be assumed that the concession expired when the Eyre Brothers themselves ceased to exist.

 




[i] The only copy of the Coal Trades Directory is held at the British Library. None of the other directory-diaries have yet been found.

[ii] The Wales Register and Guide: a topographical and historical description of each town, parish and village, in North & South Wales … : with colored maps of North & South Wales.

[iii] David Kingsley; 1980-81; Printed Maps of Sussex; Sussex Record Society; Lewes. 


 







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