Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Armstrong, Cosmo.; Romney, John, 1786-1863.; Melville, Harden Sidney, fl. 1837-1882.; Webster, Thomas, 1800-1886.; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Gray, Charles, engraver, d. 1847.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Darton and Clark.; Doudney and Scrymgour
Publisher: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.
Published: 1841
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 384
Subjects: Gift books -- Specimens.; Children's literature -- Periodicals.; Boys -- Periodicals.
Genres: Specimens.; Periodicals.
Other titles: Peter Parley's annual :; Peter Parley's magazine
Notes: Added steel-engraved t.p.

Plates are signed as engraved by Cosmo Armstrong, J. Romney and S. Allen after H. Melville, T. Webster [i.e. Thomas Webster?] and F. Howard.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  One is signed as engraved by E. Landells and two are signed by C. Gray.  One is with signatures: "T. Williams" [i.e. Thomas Williams?] and "J. Pitman".

Part of a series published under various imprints from 1840-1892 that consisted of bound volumes of the monthly numbers of "Peter Parley's Magazine", which began publication in 1839 under the imprint of Darton and Clark.  William Martin edited several numbers of the "Magazine".  In the early years the "Annual" was published with the imprint of its distributors, Simpkin, Marshall and Co.  Cf. Darton, F. J. Harvey.  Children's books in England, 1982.

Believed to be the earliest boy's annual published in Britain.  Cf. McLean, Ruari.  Victorian book design and colour printing, 1972.

The American author S. C. Goodrich claimed exclusive rights to the pseudonym "Peter Parley" and quarreled with its use by both British and American publishers for works of which he denies authorship and for bogus re-workings of his writings under the Parley name.  He also objected to the use of the pseudonym for this Annual, the authorship of which he bears no responsibility.  Cf. Goodrich, S. G. Recollections of a lifetime, 1967.

Faxon, F. W. Literary annuals, p. 108.

St. John, Judith. Osborne collection of early children's books, Vol. 1, p. 406.

Cf. Darton, F. J. Harvey.  Children's books in England, p. 221-228.

McLean, Ruari.  Victorian book design and colour printing, p. 40, 42, 47-48, 58, 62, 192.

Goodrich, S. G. Recollections of a lifetime, v. 2, p. 296.

MASS copy: Bound in olive green fine diaper-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind.  Upper cover blocked in gold with part of the same illustrated vignette as blocked on the spine.  With light yellow glazed endpapers.  Endpapers replaced; upper free endpaper left intact.
Table of contents: value: The New Year; value: The life and adventures of Neddy Bray; value: An account of Ben's first visit to London; value: Tales of the British Navy; value: The young rebels; value: The hut in the wilderness; or, Brothers and sisters; value: Laughing gas; value: The long life of frogs; value: The old lady, her cat, and its nine lives; value: The young Inca; a tale of the ancient Peruvians; value: A Turkish story; value: The old witch; or, The little gleaners; value: The German forest; value: The first voyage across the Atlantic; value: Catlin's Indian museum in the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly; value: A story of the buccaneers; value: A plot of gunpowder; or, The history of an old lady who was seized for a guy; value: Peter Parley's journey to the seaside; value: Tales about bears; value: The story of a deer; value: The two boys of Florence; value: Story of a cabin boy; value: One lie makes many; value: The ugly slaves of Bengal; value: A holiday ramble; or, Stories by the way-side.