The General Catalogue of printed books, 1881-1981

Abstract

ON 30 April 1881 George Bullen, the Keeper of Printed Books, laid before the Trustees of the British Museum the first printed part of the catalogue of books in his department. When completed twenty-five years later, the catalogue, containing about two million entries, became and remained for half a century - an essential work of reference in the major libraries of the world as the most comprehensive record in existence of printed publications of all periods in European languages. In a modified form with additions it still retains much of its importance and is still in use in the library.