Every book in this 'London Catalogue' occupies a single line. There are 72 lines in a page; there are 626 pages. It follows that the Catalogue contains the titles of 45,072 books. In these 36 years, then, there was an average annual publication of 1252 books. This number is more than double the average of the period from 1800 to 1827. There is also published, by the proprietor of 'The London Catalogue,' an Annual Catalogue of New Books. From two of these catalogues we derive the following comparative results for the beginning and the end of a quarter of a century:—
| 1828. | New publications | 842 | |
| 1853. | " | 2530 | |
| 1828. | Total number of volumes | 1105 | |
| 1853. | " | 2934 |
| 1828. | Total cost of one set of the new publications | £668 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1853. | " | £1058 | 17 | 9 | |
| 1828. | Average price of each new work | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 1853. | " | 0 | 8 | 4½ | |
| 1828. | Average price per volume of the new publications | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| 1853. | " | 0 | 7 | 2½ |
Such calculations are not arrived at without the labour of many hours; but the labour is not ill-bestowed by us, for they afford better data for opinion than loose talk about the number, quality, and price of books. Hence we learn, that, in 1853, there were three times as many books published as in 1828; that the comparative increase in the number of volumes was not so great, showing that of the new books more single volumes were published; that the total cost of one set of the new publications had increased by more than one-half of the former cost; that the average price of each new work had been reduced nearly one-half; and that the average price per volume had fallen about 5s. below the price of 1828. A further analysis of this Annual List shows that, of the 2530 books published in 1853, only 287 were published at a guinea and upwards; and that of these only 206 were books of general information; while 28 were law-books, and 53 of the well-accustomed dear class of guinea-and-a-half novels. Decidedly the Quarto Dynasty had died out.
As a supplement to the 'London Catalogue, 1816-1851,' there is published a 'Classified Index.' Through this we are enabled to estimate in round numbers the sort of books which the people were buying, or reading, or neglecting, in these 36 years.[32] We find that they were invited to purchase in the following proportion of classes:—
| Works on divinity | 10,300 | ||
| History and geography | 4,900 | ||
| Fiction | 3,500 | ||
| Foreign languages and school-books | 4,000 | ||
| Drama and poetry | 3,400 | ||
| Juvenile books | 2,900 | ||
| Medical | 2,500 | ||
| Biography | 1,850 | ||
| Law | 1,850 | ||
| Science.— | Zoology | 550 | |
| " | Botany | 700 | |
| " | Chemistry | 170 | |
| " | Geology | 280 | |
| " | Mathematics | 350 | |
| " | Astronomy | 150 | |
| " | Natural philosophy | 300 | 2,450 |
| Arts,&c.— | Antiquities | 350 | |
| " | Architecture | 500 | |
| " | Fine arts | 450 | |
| " | Games and sports | 300 | |
| " | Illustrated works | 500 | |
| " | Music | 220 | |
| " | Genealogy and heraldry | 140 | 2,460 |
| Industry.— | Mechanics, &c. | 500 | |
| " | Agriculture | 250 | |
| " | Trade and commerce | 600 | |
| " | Political economy, statistics | 700 | |
| " | Military | 300 | 2,350 |
| Moral Sciences.— | Philology, &c. | 350 | |
| " | Education | 300 | |
| " | Moral philosophy | 300 | |
| " | Morals | 450 | |
| " | Domestic economy | 200 | 1,400 |
| Miscellaneous (so classed) | 1,400 | ||
| 45,260 | |||
But the Catalogues of New Books fall very short of affording a complete view of the state of popular literature at any given period. We must apply to other sources of information.
The publication of 'The Penny Magazine,' and of 'Chambers' Journal,' in 1832, was concurrent with a general increase in the demand for periodical works. At the end of 1831 there were issued 177 monthly publications, a single copy of which cost 17l. 12s. 6d. At the end of 1833 there were 236 monthly periodicals, a single copy of which cost 23l. 3s. 6d. At the end of 1853 there were 362 of the same monthly class, a single copy of which cost 14l. 17s. 6d. In 1831 the average price of the monthly periodicals was 2s.; in 1833, 1s. 11½d.; and in 1853, 9½d. Can there be any doubt of the adaptation of periodical literature, during these years, to the wondrous extension of readers?