Peter Parley's annual for 1865
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people
By: edited by William Martin ...
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Linton, Henry Duff, 1816-1899.; Gilks, Thomas.; Browne, Hablot Knight, 1815-1882.; Gilbert, John, Sir, 1817-1897.; Evans, Edmund, 1826-1905.; Dalziel, Edward, 1817-1905.; Jackson, Mason, 1819-1903.; Coleman, W. S.; Measom, Allen, fl. 1870-1871.; Knight, John, fl. 1849-1880.; Hulme, Frederick William, 1816-1884.; Foster, Myles Birket, 1825-1899.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Pardon, Benjamin (printer); Dalziel Brothers.
Publisher: William Kent & Co.
Published: 1865
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 352
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 colour wood-engraved illustrated t.p.

"And so it is that in this Annual, of which the Editor has written almost every line for more than a quarter of a century, it has been the object to develope [sic] the feelings, sympathies, and affections of boys, -- aye, and of girls too, not unfrequently, although our business has, for the most part, been with the boys.  We have sought on all occasions to inspire them with noble ardour and manly sentiment, to teach them moral daring as well as physical daring, and to show them that the world is not one vast hollow ball, and that virtue is not merely a tinkling cymbal ... "--Preface.

Some colour wood-engraved plates are signed as engraved by Henry Linton and Gilks.  A few also include signature: "HSM", one each is also with signature: "Phiz" [i.e. Hablot Knight Browne] and "JG" [i.e. John Gilbert?].  Plates are with title captions.

According to Ruari McLean, colour plates were possibly printed by Edmund Evans.  Cf. His notes at the Massey College Library.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  Some are signed as engraved by E. Dalziel, M. Jackson, W. S. Coleman, Allen Measom, J. Knight and F. W. Hulme.  Several are signed as engraved by Dalziel after B. Foster.

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

P. 107 misnumbered "10".

General and publishers' advertisements on p. [1-24] 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 pebble-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover blocked in gold and lower cover in blind with title and elaborate illustrated and decorative border with central illustration.  Spine with imprint: "London.  W. Kent & Co.".   With red-brown painted endpapers.  With presentation inscription dated "Decr. 25-1864".
Table of contents: value: Peter Parley's address, 1865; value: Introduction; value: The Queen of the year; value: Brothers and sisters; value: Tales of the castles; value: Phelim O'Phlyn; value: The wonderful adventures of little Tommy Craske; value: The toper; value: Eton College and its vagaries; value: The two puppies; value: The intercepted letter; value: The cock and the peacock; value: Amusements of science; value: A boy's little go at Oxford; value: Pets and petters; value: Sick children; value: The led-away; value: Susan Austel; value: Geoffry Muffincap; value: Jerusalem and Thebes; value: The emigrant ship; value: The swing; value: Tales of the old castles of England; value: The story of a troublesome bull; value: The first dream at the new school; value: King Alfred and the orphan boy; value: The discovery of the stocking loom; value: My first touch of angling; value: John Huss leaving Prague; value: Historical sketches; value: Jack Brown's trip to Paris; value: French "prize letter"; value: Pictures of the months; value: Boys' own almanack and calendar; value: Commercial addendum.