Life before Wikipedia

Before the internet, most homes would have at least one copy of an encyclopaedia, possibly a Pears, while many would proudly display a full set, such as Encyclopaedia Britannica (the last print edition - running to 32 volumes - was printed in 2010). The set of choice in our house when growing up was that produced by Arthur Mee, although I note that he died in 1943, so that I hope it had been updated for our 1960s consumption! I have a feeling that my father bought it from a man selling encyclopaedias from door to door, a common enough event back then.

This little flyer fell out of the Daily Mail Yearbook for 1961, offering a free trial of the Newnes Popular Encyclopaedia, not one that I had previously heard. The cash price was £15.00 or an extra 15/- should you opt to pay over fifteen months. The only full 8-volume I have found at the moment costs £35 plus p&p, but many odd single volumes appear to be around. I can't imagine that there is much of a market these days!