[Henry Morley], ‘The Catalogue’s Account of Itself’, Household Words (1851)

Among the several Exhibition-related articles in Household Words was ‘The Catalogue’s Account of Itself’ by Henry Morley, who, with a training in medicine and a career in school-teaching, contributed articles on such subjects as science, education and sanitary reform. In ‘The Catalogue’s Account of Itself’, published in the issue of 23 August, Morley defended both ODIC and the Official Catalogue, which had been extensively criticized both by visitors and in the periodical press. Drawing on both published accounts and information he had gleaned from acquaintances, Morley defended the catalogue compilers by emphasizing what an immense task they had faced and their dependence on 15,000 exhibitors supplying correct information. He also praised them for the speed at which they had produced these impressive and important volumes. Morley drew heavily on Robert Ellis’s ‘Scientific Revision and Preparations of the Catalogue’ that had appeared in ODIC.