From the preface: "The aim of this work is to fill a notable omission in the field of British topographical bibliography, namely in providing a list of as many works in this genre with steel-engravings as the author could assemble with the collation of each work provided in full. Every item has been examined and collated personally; authors are listed alphabetically and within this structure is placed the title, the collation of the text, the titles of the plates, and the names of the Artists and Engravers. The plates have been listed as they appear in each work and are numbered accordingly.The peak period for steel-engraved book illustration was from 1835 to 1845 but its starting point was at the turn of the Century."