Michele Compiled in June, 1936, with a cut off date of December the 31st, 1935, this was the first catalogue of cards ever to be compiled as a reference book rather than a sales catalogue or a price list.
It was compiled in four sections, firstly cards issued in Great Britain, secondly cards issued with newspapers and periodicals, thirdly cards issued in British Dominions, and fourthly card issued in Foreign Countries. Each section was listed in a different order - section one being alphabetically by the name of the issuing firm, then in order of date of issue - section two alphabetically by name of the periodical or paper, then by set title - and sections three and four alphabetically by country and then set title.
There I must stop for one moment, because this was done without a computer, so that ordering had to be sorted out all in the mind of Mr. Matthews, there was no way he could insert a set with a couple of clicks on his screen, and by simply inserting a missing item in between the two already there. This work was typed, from scratch, laboriously, and any errors meant starting that page completely from the beginning, all over again.