Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people
By: with eight full page illustrations in oil colours, and numerous wood engravings by eminent artists.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Dickes, William, 1815-1892.; Foster, Myles Birket, 1825-1899.; Jewitt, Edwin.; Lancelot, Dieudonné Auguste, 1822-1894.; Gilbert, John, Sir, 1817-1897.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Butterworth and Heath,; Wertheimer, Lea and Co.
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1868
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 312
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. with signature: "W. Dickes".  Plate includes areas printed in colour with metal.

Publisher's device printed on t.p.

Most colour wood-engraved plates are with signature: "W. Dickes".  All are with imprint: "W. Dickes" and all are with title captions.  Plates include areas printed in colour with metal.

Some wood-engraved illustrations are with signature: B. Foster, "H. W.", E. Jewitt, D. Lancelot [i.e. Dieudonné Lancelot?], A. L. Fetherington, E. Bourdelin, Gabby, W. Dickes, "RGH" and Butterworth & Heath, and JG [i.e. John Gilbert?].

Includes wood-engraved decorative and illustrated initials.

General and publishers' advertisements on p. [1-32] 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 sand-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind.  Upper cover blocked in gold and lower cover in blind with title and elaborate decorative border with central illustration.  Boards with bevelled edges; a.e.g.  Spine with imprint: "London.  Darton & Co.".   With yellow glazed endpapers.  With presentation inscription dated "Xmas 1867".  With ownership inscription: "Newling".
Table of contents: value: The boy who did his best; value: Birds of the sea; value: The good fortune of Claude Hopper; value: Wonderful tales of snakes and alligators; value: The boy who would see the world; value: The showman and his menagerie; value: At home in the ocean; value: Breaking up for the holidays; value: The wonderful city; value: "Sweet things" at the Paris Exhibition; value: Attacked by sharks; value: Story of a Newfoundland dog; value: The young Carthaginian; value: Kidnapped by sweeps; value: How to catch a butterfly; value: The school prize; value: The Australian shepherd boys; value: Anecdotes of parrots; value: Boyhood of Prince Albert; value: Anecdotes of goats; value: Visit to Madame Tussaud's exhibition; value: White ants of America; value: Poetry. The two little birds; value: Song of the butterfly; value: The nautilus; value: Saturday afternoon; value: The magpie; value: Little children; value: Old Jack Frost; value: Be merry and wise.