British Museum General Catalogue of Printed Books to 1955, Compact Edition, 27 volumes (with) Ten Year Supplement, 1956-1965, 5 volumes [32 volumes total; new, in publisher's 10 shipping cartons]

New York: Readex Microprint Corporation, 1967. 32 volumes. SEE PHOTO. A gorgeous set. Brand New in perfect condition. The set offered here is identical to the one in the photo but comes from our warehouse STILL SEALED in the PUBLISHER'S CARDBOARD SHIPPING BOXES (10 boxes, total). NO rubbing. NO fading. Bright, clean, square and tight. NO owner's name or bookplate. NO remainder mark. NOT library discards. Fresh and crisp -- obviously never read. This is the first printing of the 32 volume Compact Edition. It consists of CATALOGUE OF PRINTED BOOKS TO 1955 [27 volumes, published in 1967] + TEN YEAR SUPPLEMENT 1956-1965 [5 volumes, published in 1969]. Described here are all printed books acquired by the British Library from its origin in the 18th century through 1965, in total more than 4 million entries. The British Library's copyright privilege and aggressive acquisitions combined to build one of the world's most comprehensive collections, from 15th century incunabula to modern first editions. The Library of Congress has only 25% of the items described here. In 32 large volumes (each 8.25" wide by 10.75" tall), the compact BMC includes every word from the original edition. Approximately 10 volumes of the original edition are contained in each volume of this edition. Thus the complete content of the 313 original volumes is stored here in just 63 inches of shelfspace. SEE PHOTO. When compared to the original, the compact BMC's volumes have a larger format, and more but thinner pages. The type size is reduced but remains clear and sharp. Years ago this edition's print size was legible "to the naked eye" but these days our aging vision finds a magnifying glass to be very helpful. The BMC is an invaluable tool for scholars, librarians, booksellers and collectors. With 4 million entries, this set provides more bang for your reference buck than just about anything else. For example, it describes 1,310 different printed editions of the Bible in English. Due the comprehensiveness of the section on Bibles, volumes 2 & 3 by themselves brought $400 at the Witten sale. These 32 volume were published at $930. The set is uniformly bound in the original gilt-stamped blue cloth. Will require extra postage, but the total shipping cost for all 10 boxes via media mail, including delivery confirmation tracking, is only is little over $100 (as of March 2012 -- US Post Office rates subject to change).. 1967 compact edition. Oversize Hardcover -very heavy. New/in publishers shipping cartons. 32 volumes. Great Packaging, Fast Shipping.