[A]¹⁰ B¹⁰ C⁸ D-K¹⁰ L-M⁸; inserts before K1 and K10, conjugate pair inserted before B6.

[1-7] 8-9 [10-11] 12-14 [15-16] 17-20 [21-22] 23-24 [25] 26-28 [29] 30 [+198].

Crown 4^o: 9½" × 7¼", trimmed, white loaded paper; 12(+2)pt. Baskerville; halftone blocks in black and in colour, line block diagrams in black red green and blue; casing, orange cloth, gold-blocked up spine: ‘BROADCASTING HOUSE’ and on upper cover: ‘BROADCASTING | HOUSE’

This volume (Oba) shows proof corrections in pencil to text and captions, which appear in Ob in print; plates 3 and 80 are replaced in Ob by new plates of the same subjects re-numbered 11 and 104; no colour halftone plates at all appear in Ob; plates 9 27 35 42 44 47 55 59 63 67 72 and 79 appear in Ob as un-numbered line block diagrams; the following plates in Oba appear re-numbered in Ob, (new number in curves): 1 (8) 2 (10) 4 (9) 5-7 (12-14) 10-24 (16-30) 25 (33) 26 (32) 28 (37) 33 (38) 36 (41) 37-38 (43-44) 39-41 (46-48) 43 (50) 45 (54) 46 (53) 48-49 (67-68) 50-2 (58-60) 53-4 (64-5) 56 (73) 57 (72) 58 (71) 60-2 (75-7) 64 (81) 65 (80) 66 (83) 68-9 (87-8) 70-1 (90-1) 73 (94) 74-6 (96-8) 77-8 (100-101) 81 (103) 82-3 (106-7) 84-5 (109-10) 87-9 (112-4) 91-2 (115-6).

On title-page the line block is in red ink uneven in colour, perhaps a mixture of 2 incompatible inks.

Comparing the two volumes at the Curwen Library I concluded that at an early stage in the planning and production of the volume a mock-up Oba was produced, which would help in planning the presentation volumes. Afterwards alterations were made to text and captions, 2 plates were withdrawn, many plates were replaced by line diagrams, it was decided to print no colour halftones at all, and as a result all plates were re-numbered. I am inclined to think that presentation copies were given to the King and Queen, probably on their 7th July visit; it would be interesting to know if these volumes were more elaborate than Ob and what features of Oba they incorporated, if any.

During 1931 the B.B.C. began to make a move from Savoy Hill, its previous home (later the HQ of the Institution of Electrical Engineers). The 1932 B.B.C. Yearbook states 'A gradual transfer is inevitable; this makes it impossible for Broadcasting House to have an official opening on a given date, and the B.B.C. has therefore decided against any form of opening ceremony'. None the less, a royal opening by King George V, accompanied by Queen Mary, did take place on 7th July 1932, commemorated by a panel in the entrance hall.

Most records agree that the building was officially opened on 1st May that year, and by the following day it was, quite literally, fully occupied. Sir John Reith (director-general) gave one of his most revealing addresses to staff in Val Myer's new concert hall. The B.B.C. staff by that stage had grown to about 700 people. [with acknowledgements to my late brother, Ian Phillips]

See Simon 1973 p.253 reprinting Catalogue raisonné 1928-32 says this was: full cloth, 5s.

• Baskerville
• Baskerville, 12pt.
• British Broadcasting Corporation IMDb NPG
• George V, King of the United Kingdom, 1865–1936 Hansard IMDb NPG ODNB
• Mary, Queen (consort of George V), 1867–1953 Munzinger NPG ODNB

[1-24]⁴; insert before [4]1; in the 4-leaf sewn sections of plates a guard is placed between the 2 pairs of leaves, to bulk out the spine; 4-leaf sewn endleaves at rear.

[1-5] 6-7 [8-9] 10-24 [+168].

Crown 4^o: 9½" × 7⅛", top edge only trimmed, artificial headband, purple marker ribbon,white wove, Curwen Press + Unicorn; 12(+2)pt. Baskerville; halftone blocks in black, line block diagrams in black red blue and grey-green on loaded paper tipped on to the wove pages; casing, green vellum, gold-blocked up spine: ‘BROADCASTING | HOUSE’ and on upper cover the coat of arms of Queen Mary; folding box covered in buff buckram and lined inside with fleecy white cloth, on spine a light brown leather label gold-blocked: ‘[rule] | BROADCASTING | HOUSE | [rule]’.

• Baskerville
• Baskerville, 12pt.