Posted on 21 August 2011, 6:48

Tired of the endless books, tributes and general hoopla surrounding the 400th birthday of the King James Bible? Take comfort in the fact that your great-grandparents had to endure the same sort of thing back in 1911, the 300th anniversary. This British newspaper ad of the time cashed in with a 6.5 inch lectern bearing ‘the smallest Bible in the world’... yours for just 17.5p in today’s money. Here’s the sales pitch…

‘Bibles were so rare in olden times it was necessary to chain them to lecterns and other places. The chain is a facsimile of what may be seen in Hereford and other cathedrals and parish churches all over the country. The Bible can easily be read with a magnifying glass, which is supplied.’