Peter Parley's annual for 1866
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people : including almanac and diary for the year
By: edited by William Martin ...
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Mason, W. G. fl. 1842-1857.; Dalziel, George, 1815-1902.; Evans, Edmund, 1826-1905.; Sly, S. fl. 1836-1847.; Whymper, Josiah Wood, 1813-1903.; Williams, Thomas, b. ca. 1800.; Linton, W. J. 1812-1897.; Knight, Joseph, 1837-1909.; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Timbrell, James Christopher, ca. 1807-1850.; Weir, Harrison, 1824-1906.; Gilbert, John, Sir, 1817-1897.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Kimberley, John Wodehouse, Earl of, 1826-1902.; Pardon, Benjamin (printer)
Publisher: William Kent & Co.
Published: 1866
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 360
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.

Most colour wood-engraved plates are unsigned.  One each is with signature: "HSM", "W. G. Mason" and "G. Dalziel".

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 S. Sly, Whimper, W. M. [Gel?], T. Williams, W. J. Linton, J. Knight and E. Landells.  Some are also with signature: "J. C. Timbrell", "EMW", "Weir Del." and "Delangle".  Several are illustrated by John Gilbert.

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

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.  Illustration on upper cover blocked in gold on blue sand-grain cloth onlay.  Spine with imprint: "London.  W. Kent & Co.".   With red-brown painted endpapers. Hand-written entries in the blank day book for 1866 at beginning (p. 8-[31]) include entry on May 29th: "Papa was created Earl of Kimberley".  Lacking one colour plate.
Table of contents: value: Preface; value: The Eden of St. Margaret's; value: Boys' own almanac and calendar; value: Tonis ad resto mare; value: The fall of Jerusalem; value: Ancient sports and games; value: The butcher's boy of Ipswich; value: A Spanish bull fight; value: The water frolic pig hunt; value: Tales upon tails; or, the comical picture, and what was made of it; value: Sports and games, old English and modern. No. I.; value: The butcher's boy of Ipswich. Part II.; value: Amusements of science; value: The darling boy of England; value: Henry, Prince of Wales, the reformed son; value: Modern sports and games. No. II.; value: The two brothers; value: A boy's scamperings and exploits in the bush; value: Golden hours, silver hours, and leaden hours; value: "Smoke not"; value: True courage; value: A poetical letter; value: St. Patrick's Day in the morning; value: School prizes; value: The cabinet drawer; value: A boy's trip to Belgium, Holland, and up the Rhine; value: Roast beef; value: Translation of French letter in "Peter Parley's annual," 1865; value: The honest Deptford boy; value: Miltiades, Cimonis Filius Atheniensis; value: Pictures of the month; value: Commercial addendum.