 The following quote, written in 1926, captures the mood

An excellent collection of prospectuses received by a single person (C. L. Parker) in that year has been preserved by the Bodleian Library (catalogued under #39899.c.1).The advertising was clearly targeted at middle and lower-middle-class people seeking to improve themselves.The advertising campaign was remarkably successful; over 70,000 sets were sold, bringing in over £600,000 pounds profit.