Peter Parley's annual for 1881
By: with numerous coloured illustrations, printed in oil, by Ben. George.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Claxton, Adelaide, fl. 1858-1905.; George, Benjamin (printer); W.H. Smith & Son.
Publisher: Ben. George
Published: 1881
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 313
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 chromolithographed decorative t.p. includes statement: "40th Year".

"The number of holiday publications issued at Christmas time is very large, and the aunts and uncles who want to take presents to the houses where they are going to spend the season may well stand bewildered before the bookstall, unable to make a choice ... But those who are groping benightedly should beware lest they purchase as an Annual a collection of weekly or monthly numbers of a periodical taken in by the family they are going to visit, for this often causes disappointment.  Now, whatever his shortcomings may be in other respects, Peter Parley is original.  Nothing in this volume has ever appeared in print before, in any language, or in either hemisphere."--Preface.

Most chromolithographed plates are unsigned and without imprint.  Two are with monogrammatic signature: "[RTP?].  All are with title captions.

Chalk lithographed plates are included in pagination.  Plates are printed in beige and black.  All are unsigned.  Plates are with captions.

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

Publishers' and general advertisements on p. [2-17] at end.  A few include wood-engraved illustrations, two with signature: "A Claxton" [i.e. Adelaide Claxton?].

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 diagonal rib-grain cloth blocked in gold, black, silver and blind.  Upper cover blocked in gold with illustrations showing a boy and a girl reading.  Upper cover includes blocking in black: "40th Year".  Spine with imprints: "40th Year" and "Ben George  London".  Boards with bevelled edges; a.e.g.  With dark brown painted endpapers.  With bookseller's embossed stamp: "W. H. Smith & Son  London".
Table of contents: value: Hall Stacey; value: Diving apparatus; value: Double acrostic; value: Lord Clive; value: The prize watch; value: The silver arrow; value: The golden aureola; value: A Michaelmas goose; value: Earthquakes and volcanoes; value: St. George for Merrie England; value: Maximilian de Leste; value: The story of the cartoons; value: Run down; value: A puzzle.