Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Griffiths, Henry, d. 1849.; Heath, Charles, 1785-1848.; Wilkie, David, Sir, 1785-1841.; Westall, Richard, 1765-1836.; Beavan, Henry.; Gray, Charles, engraver, d. 1847; Wall, G. H.; Jackson, John, 1801-1848.; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Laing, C. D. fl. 1838-1853.; Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878.; Cole, Henry, Sir, 1808-1882.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Doudney, David Alfred, 1811-1894 (printer)
Publisher: Darton and Clark
Published: 1844
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 376
Subjects: Gift books -- Specimens.; Children's literature -- Periodicals.; Boys -- Periodicals.
Genres: Specimens.; Periodicals.
Other titles: Peter Parley's annual and Christmas & New Years present; Peter Parley's magazine
Notes: Added decorative t.p. printed with areas in an aquatint-like process with engraved lines on a yellow-beige background tint.  Plate with imprint: "Griffith's Patent. on Steel".  Preliminary plate printed in the same process and with imprint: "Griffiths. Patent.".  Plate is unsigned.

"Peter Parley has been amused to see that some writers, who have been kind enough to notice him, have represented him as one who seeks only to instruct the understanding of his readers, without making an effort to please their imagination, or to call out their affections.  Peter Parley is quite certain that this is not correct ... The writer [i.e. Henry Cole, pseudonym "Felix Summerly", Cf. McLean, p. 47.] who has brought against me the charge I have mentioned, in the most ill-natured way, has lately written some children's books, and edited others, with large alterations, which he has tried to make attractive by the help of bright colours and large print.  He professes to have addressed them especially to the imagination and affections, in what he calls the Anti-Peter Parley style; and if he pleases his readers half as much as he seems to have pleased himself, he will, no doubt, sell a great many of his books.  Perhaps it would not be quite civil for me to express my opinion freely as to the author's success in the art of pleasing, but I may say, that in one point, which he seems to have had in view, he has certainly succeeded, that is in the exclusion of anything that might instruct his readers ... "--Preface.

Two steel-engraved plates are signed as engraved by T. Mitchell and Chas. Heath after D. Wilkie and R. Westall.  One is with signature: "Painted by A. Colin".

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  Some are signed as engraved by H. Beavan, G. & C. Wall, C. Gray, G. H. Wall, J. Jackson, "Landells & Gray", J. Pitman and C. D. Laing.  One is with signature: "J. Browne" and a few include signature: "GC" [i.e. George Cruikshank].

Publisher's advertisements on p. [1-32] at end entitled: "List of Illustrated Juvenile Works published by Darton and Clark, Holborn Hill.".  Advertisements include wood-engraved illustrations.

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 tan fine vertical rib-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind.  Upper cover blocked in gold with part of the same illustrated vignette as blocked on the spine.  With presentation inscription dated 1844.
Table of contents: value: To my young friends; value: A Christmas song; value: The Knights Templars; value: The alligator; value: The wonders of Egypt; value: The life and adventures of Maturin; value: Blind man's buff; value: A Chinese story; value: The rooks and the cherry-tree; value: The two guides; value: A tale of youthful courage; value: Playing at hoop; value: The two seekers; value: Something about the reindeer; value: Tigers and tiger hunting; value: Tales about Poland; value: The terrapene; or, land tortoise; value: Falls of the Niagara; value: Games for April; value: The old friend and the new; value: The nuthatch; value: Phebe Bluff; value: The pet puppy; value: Sports for June; value: Christ's hospital; value: A tale of a tiger; value: Something about Cadiz; value: Thomas á Becket; value: The green, or sea turtle; value: The old witch of Teddington; value: The holiday; or, First experiments in painting; value: Jack, the young sailor; value: The fox; value: The water-rat; value: The Bengal sheep; value: Jack, the mutineer; value: A chapter on birds; value: The kite; or, the dangers of conceit; value: Tales of the civil wars; value: A chapter on shells; value: Fireside philosophy; value: Anecdote of a tiger; value: Stories of women.