Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas & New Year's present for young people
By: edited by William Martin ...
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Nicholls, G. P. fl. 1841-1887; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Vizetelly, Henry, 1820-1894.; Measom, William Frederick, fl. 1840s-1876.; Branston, Robert Edward fl. 1840-1850.; Harral, Horace.; Stephenson, James, 1808-1886.; Anelay, Henry, 1817-1883.; Foster, Myles Birket, 1825-1899.; Doré, Gustave, 1832-1883.; Sargent, G. F., fl. 1840-1860.; Gilbert, John, Sir, 1817-1897.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Stevens, William, printer; Leighton Brothers.
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1867
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 320
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.

Publisher's device printed on t.p.

Most colour wood-engraved plates are with imprint: "Leighton, Bros.".  Preliminary plate is with signature: "AH".  Others are unsigned.  All are with title captions.

Some wood-engraved illustrations are signed as engraved by G. P. Nicholls, Landells, J. Stephenson, H. Vizetelly, W. Measom, "EW", [Laby?], R. Branston and H. Harral.  Illustrators include "AH", H. Anelay, B. Foster, Doré, Sargent and J. Gilbert.

Includes wood-engraved decorative and illustrated initials.

General and publishers' advertisements on p. [1-28] 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 red-brown painted endpapers.  With ownership inscription dated 1868: "Algernon Todd.".  With ownership inscription dated 1880: "Gerald Maltby Todd.".
Table of contents: value: John Frankland, the boy merchant; value: Beautiful things; value: School-house tales; value: Work and its blessing; value: Pig hunting in the backwoods; value: Christmas time; value: The heights above; value: The depths above; value: Harvest time; value: The tale of a tiger; value: Boy life among the mountains; value: Boy life at sea; or, The adventures of Samuel Seagrave: chapter I; value: Boy life at sea (conclusion); value: Among the volcanoes; value: Among rivers, cataracts, and waterfalls; value: The idiot boy: a clergyman's story; value: Among rocks, glaciers, and caverns; value: The marten trappers, and bear and deer finders; value: Short stories; value: Story of William Tell; value: Boy life in China: filial affection of the Chinese; value: Poor families; or, The benevolent quaker; value: How to return good for evil: the history of Uberto; value: The life-boat; value: True stories; value: Natural history; value: Poetry.