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Pears Cyclopaedia is a one volume encyclopaedia published in the United Kingdom. From the 58th edition, published in the autumn of 1948, it has been published annually. Prior to this edition it had been published 'as demand required', which meant that in some years three editions would be published and at other times more than a year would pass between editions.
Pears soap, launched Pears Shilling Cyclopaedia in December 1897. The most recent edition (2002-2003) is the 111th edition.
Each edition features an atlas, a gazetteer, a list of prominent people (past and present), a mini encyclopaedia of general information and a chronological list of events. In addition, each edition features a collection of around a dozen or more other sections about a specialist subject such as cookery, classical mythology, gardening etc.
