red guide covers and spines chart
| from date | to date | cover above title | main cover style | cover below title | spine top | spine base | spine title direction | dust cover |
| 1880 | 1886 | No standard wording used during this period | No standard style used during this period | No standard wording used during this period | no information | no information | no information | none |
| 1885 | 1892 | WARD & LOCK’s ILLUSTRATED GUIDE |
Large lettering, with listing of all placenames covered. No borders |
Reference to Plates, Maps, Plans and Numerous Engravings | no information | no information | no information | none |
| 1892 | 1903 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with double black lines above and below | Copperplate script within single black border | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with double black lines above and below | "SHILLING PICTORIAL GUIDES" with two black underlinings | LONDON WARD LOCK & CO LTD under two black lines | Up | none |
| 1903 | 1911 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with dotted black border above and thin single dotted lines above and below | Plain with black dotted border rim. Title in capitals. Arms/shield insignia in centre (usually but not always) | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with single dotted lines above and below, and dotted squares either side | Dotted black line + 1/- circle top | WARD LOCK & CO with dotted black line below | Up | none |
| 1911 | 1918 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with dotted black border above and double black lines below | Large circle with 2 vertical bars - one each side 1 cm from border | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with double black lines above and dotted black border below | Dotted black line + 1/- NET (some 1918 editions marked 1/6 NET) with double underlining | WARD LOCK & CO. with dotted black line below | Up | none |
| 1918 | 1931 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with dotted black border above and double black lines below | Large circle with 2 vertical bars - one each side 1 cm from border | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with double black lines above and dotted black border below | Dotted black line with 4 dots in box below (sometimes blank in 1919, and sometimes with only a single dot between 1924 and 1930), with double underlining | WARD LOCK & CO. with dotted black line below | Up | None |
| 1931 | 1937 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with one thick and two thin lines above and below | Large boxed map (London guides have icons/landmarks) | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with one thick and two thin black lines above and below | One thick and two thin black horizontal lines | WARD LOCK & CO above one thick and two thin black horizontal lines | Up | None |
| 1937 | 1940 | WARD•LOCK•&•Co'S with one thick and two thin lines above and below | Large boxed map (London guides have icons/landmarks) | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with one thick and two thin black lines above and below | One thick and two thin black horizontal lines | WARD LOCK above one thick and two thin black horizontal lines | Up | None |
| 1949 | 1951 | WARD•LOCK'S with one thick and two thin lines above and below | Large boxed map (London guides have icons/landmarks) | ILLUSTRATED GUIDE BOOKS with one thick and two thin black lines above and below | One thick and two thin black horizontal lines | WARD LOCK above one thick and two thin black horizontal lines | Down | None |
| 1951 | 1952 | WARD•LOCK'S with one thick and two thin lines above and below | Large boxed map (London guides have icons/landmarks) | Reference to MAPS AND PLANS with one thick and two thin black lines above and below | Blank | Small GB map over WARD LOCK. No lines | Down | None |
| 1952 | mid-1950s | WARD LOCK's underlined, and then the title | Map in a single lined box | Reference to MAPS AND PLANS with one thick and two thin black lines above and below | Blank |
Small GB map over WARD LOCK. No lines |
Down | Yes |
| early-1960s | mid-1970s | Title of Guide in capitals | Small boxed map | WARD LOCK (near bottom) | Blank | WARD LOCK at foot | Down | Yes |