There were several guide books published for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition and one of the most popular was the Fleetway Press Official Guide. Although no figures exist for the numbers sold it probably ran into hundreds of thousands and even today it is still very common. It was on sale then for one shilling.

There were two different editions of the Guide. One was edited by G. C. Lawrence and pages 17 to 32 contain sepia photographs of members of the Royal Family, officials and views of some of the pavilions. The cover of this guide has the Wembley Lion and writing in white on a blue background.

The other edition also published by Fleetway Press has only four pages of sepia photographs, three of the Royal Family and one of officials. The cover is the reverse of the first guide with parts of the lion and the writing in blue on a white background.. No credit is given to Lawrence and the guide has been rewritten by Marjorie Grant Cook in collaboration with Frank Fox. It has 112 pages against the 128 pages of the first guide.

I have several copies of the G. C. Lawrence guide and one day out of curiosity I went through them page by page, comparing them with each other. To my surprise I found that two different editions had been printed, although there is no indication of this in the guides. One cover is in a deeper blue than the other. The guide with the deeper blue cover has four pages of illustration not numbered, so although both editions are numbered up to page 128 the deeper blue one actually has 132 pages. The un-numbered pages I have listed as 16a, b, c, and d.

Page Lighter blue cover Page Deeper blue cover

5 13 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed 5 10 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed

6 Salvation Army advert with illustration 6 Salvation Army advert without illustration

7 15 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed 7 11 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed

8 Furness (Shipping) Line advert 8 List of Dominion & Colonial Rep’s

9 16 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed 9 9 Dominion & Colonial Rep’s listed

10 Nestles Condensed Milk advert 10 Furness (Shipping) Line advert

13 Official Guide Introduction 13 British Empire Exhibition Introduction

17 Sepia illustration (page numbered) (16a) Sepia illustration (page not numbered)

18 Sepia illustration (page numbered) (16b) Sepia illustration (page not numbered)

19 Sepia illustration (page numbered) (16c) Sepia illustration (page not numbered)

20 6 Sepia illustrations (page numbered) (16d) 6 Sepia illustrations (page not numbered)

No folded map inserted Folded map inserted

21 8 Sepia illustrations 17 Same 8 illustrations but in B/W

22 7 Sepia illustrations 18 Same 7 illustrations but in B/W

23 5 Sepia illustrations 19 Same 5 illustrations but in B/W

24 9 Sepia illustrations 20 Same 9 illustrations but in B/W

25 8 Sepia illustrations 21 Same 8 illustrations but in B/W

26 8 Sepia illustrations 22 Same 8 illustrations but in B/W

27 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 23 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

28 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 24 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

29 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 25 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

30 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 26 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

31 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 27 4 B/W illustrations of pavilions

32 4 Sepia illustrations of pavilions 28 4 B/W illustrations of pavilions

Folded map inserted No folded map inserted

33 Text 29 4 B/W illustrations of pavilions

34 Text 30 4 B/W illustrations of pavilions

35 Text 31 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

36 Illustration of gold casket 32 2 B/W illustrations of pavilions

37 Text Wembley in a Week 33 Text Wembley in a Day

38 Text 34 Different text

39 Map 35 Text

40 Map 36 Illustration of gold casket

41 Map 37 Text Wembley in a Week

42 Map 38 Text

43 Map 39 Map

44 Text 40 Map

45 Text 41 Map

46 Text 42 Map

47 Text 43 Map

48-49 Text 44-45 Text

50 Text & 2 adverts 46 Text

51-53 Text 47-49 Text

54 Text 50 Text & 2 adverts

55-69 Text 51-65 Text

70 South African Prudential advert 66 Text

71-95 Text 67-91 Text

96 Cope Bros. advert 92 Text

97 Text 93 Text

98 Amusements Park map 94 Text

99 Text 95 Text

100 Text 96 Amusements Park map

101 Text 97 Text

102 Text 98 Burroughs Adding Machine advert

103 Text 99 Text

104 Fox’s Glacier Mints advert 100 Text

105 Text 101 Text

106 Text 102 Robbialac, McNish’s & Ackroyd adverts

107 Text 103 Text

108 Restaurants & Cafes map 104 Lustra Pearls & Fleetway adverts

109-111Text 105-107Text

112 Text 108 Restaurants & Cafes map

113-117Text 109-113Text

118 Lipton’s Tea advert 114 Text

119 Text 115 Text

120 Braby All-Metal Building advert 116 Text

121 Text 117 Text

122 Chubb & Sons Lock & Safe advert 118 Lipton’s Tea advert

123 Text 119 Text

124 Text 120 Braby All-Metal Building advert

125 Text 121 Text

126 Robbialac & Ackroyd adverts 122 Chubb & Sons Lock & Safe advert

127 Index 123 Text

128 Index (last page) 124 Text

B.D.V. Tobacco advert inside back cover 125 Text

126 Text

127 Index

128 Index (last page)

Copes Bros. advert inside back cover