Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Absolon, John, 1815-1895.; Keene, Charles, 1823-1891.; Weigall, Charles Harvey, 1794-1877.; Cooper, James Davis, 1823-1904.; Williams, Samuel, 1788-1853.; Mason, W. G. fl. 1842-1857.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Gregory, Collins & Reynolds.; Lewis and Son
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1849
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 376
Subjects: Gift books -- Specimens.; Children's literature -- Periodicals.; Boys -- Periodicals.
Genres: Specimens.; Periodicals.
Other titles: Peter Parley's magazine
Notes: Added colour wood-engraved illustrated t.p. plate includes areas printed in colour with metal.

Preliminary colour wood-engraved plate is with imprints: "John Absolon, Del." and "Collins and Reynolds, Printers.".  Plate includes areas printed in colour with metal and is with title caption.

Steel-engraved plates are unsigned and without imprint.  All are with title captions.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  A few are signed as engraved by J. Cooper after C. Keene.  Some are signed as engraved by S. Williams.  One is signed as engraved by W. G. Mason after C. H. Weigall.

Includes wood-engraved decorative head-pieces and initials and illustrated tail-pieces.

Publishers' advertisements on p. [1-16] at end.

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 red fine morocco-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover blocked in gold with illustration similar to those within the text.  Covers blocked in blind with illustrated border design. Spine re-backed.  With glazed pastel pink endpapers.  With presentation inscription dated 1857.
Table of contents: value: Prose. Alexander the Great; value: Atmospherical phenomena; value: Battle of the champions; value: Boy king; value: Building materials; value: Catching turtles; value: Chevy Chase; value: Colonial produce; value: Deaf, dumb and blind; value: Dog; value: Golden eagle; value: History of the mysterious gentleman, who was a trouble to a great many people and no great advantage to himself; value: How a house is built; value: How elephants cross rivers; value: Jack-o' Lanthorn; value: James the First; value: Little wanderer; value: Malcolm of Scotland; value: Natural history; value: Natural history of a sponge; value: Natural wonders; value: Parley with Parley; value: Paul Peregrine; value: Princely brothers; value: Self-devotion of Henry V. to his brother the Duke of Clarence; value: Self-preservation; value: Something about building; value: Something about Sarawak, Borneo; or, The results of emigration; value: Something about the stuff life is made of; value: Star of chivalry; value: Story of a desert; value: Story of a good old lady; value: Story of Venice; value: Swiss boy; value: True heroism; or, Perseverance; value: Two friends; value: Wonders of geology; value: Poetry. Cotton tree; value: Courage and humanity; value: Lesson in a churchyard; value: Mother's dream; value: Rainbow; value: Song to the bee.