Red Guides WARD LOCK & Co

If you have looked at an older Ward Lock red guide, you mayhave found it difficult to detect the publication date. Don't worry, you aren't alone! Quite often, books for sale aredescribed as "undated". That is why we have put together thisset of clues to help pinpoint the date of your books or prospectivepurchases. If you click on the following underlined links someillustrated examples will pop-up.

Some guides, specifically London, have the date explicitlyon the cover and spine .   The cover design changed (as left) butthis is more a clue to the decade rather than year of publication.Later guides (1950's and on), having red and yellow paper dustwrappers, typically have a copyright date in the first few pages of the guide. Many moreof the earlier guides have the date at the foot of the firstor an early page of the advertisements at the rear of the book, after the index,and sometimes in the front advert section, if there is one.

Failing that, you may find general date clues inside the advertisements themselves,or in references in the text of the guide, or from some of the photographs , whichmay have datable subjects such as period motor vehicles.

Sometimes an original owner may have made a dated inscription inside the cover, which may help to confirmother indicating clues but cannot be relied upon as the actualpublication date, since it could have been inscribed at anytime.

For the financially astute,  prices given in the advertisementsgive some clue to confirm the period, if not the exact year. At some point in the future we may try to catalogue some ofthese revealing prices and their corresponding dates. Meantime,  you may find it useful in dating your guidesto review the summary checklist below and the covers and spines page.

Printed on the cover or spine?  (unlikely, but the spineand cover give a general clue to the publication era - see chart ).

At the foot of one of the first pages of advertisements at the back of the book

At the foot of one of the advertisement pages at the frontof the book, if any

If it has a dust jacket, is there a copyright date at foot of one of the front pages

Explicitly within the text of some advertisements themselves

Within the text of the book explicitly, by referring to recent dates

An owner's dated inscription

· The context of advertisement or guide text - e.g.. reference to places or events that existin a given time frame - e.g.. during World-War II

Other general dating clues, such as vehicles, costume andfashion , etc. in illustrations and advertisements

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