Introduction

Historians and historical geographers in Britain have made considerable use of directory material in their research. Historians working on Britain have available, therefore, comprehensive bibliographies and guides to directories. Cross-cultural comparisons are becoming an increasingly important area of research within historical studies, whilst the closer political ties within Europe are stimulating and focusing interest on the European scene. It is within the historiography of urban retailing that directories have provided an important source in many countries. Directories, in addition to providing quantitative data for studies of socio-economic change, can also furnish more indirect measures or indicators of town life. The main aims of this guide are twofold: first, to provide a unified bibliography of European town directories published before 1950; and, second, to produce a detailed source guide to directories, especially their contents and, most important, their reliability.