Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Nicholson, Thomas Henry, d. 1870.; Mason, W. G. fl. 1842-1857.; Collins, W. B.; Gray, Charles, engraver, d. 1847; Heaviside, T.; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Phillips, Watts, 1825-1874.; Dalziel, Edward, 1817-1905.; Jackson, John, 1801-1848.; Williams, Thomas, b. ca. 1800.; Slader, Samuel M.; Measom, George S., fl. 1845-1862.; Wall, G. H.; Whymper, Josiah Wood, 1813-1903.; Cooper, James Davis, 1823-1904.; Williams, Samuel, 1788-1853.; Absolon, John, 1815-1895.; Keene, Charles, 1823-1891.; Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878.; Leighton, John, 1822-1912.; Heathcote, Thomas Boyes.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Clarke, J. O. (printer); Andrew & Wagner,
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1852
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 384
Subjects: Gift books -- Specimens.; Children's literature -- Periodicals.; Boys -- Periodicals.
Genres: Specimens.; Periodicals.
Other titles: Peter Parley's magazine
Notes: Added colour wood-engraved illustrated t.p. with imprints: "T. H. Nicholson Del." and "W. G. Mason Sc.".  Plate is with additional imprint: "Printed in Colours by W. B. Collins".

Colour wood-engraved plates are unsigned and without imprint.

Some wood-engraved illustrations within the text are signed as engraved by C. Gray, T. Heaviside, E. Landells, Watts Phillips, Andrew & Wagner, E. Dalziel, Jackson, Thos Williams, Slader, G. Measom, Wall, W. C. Harrison, Whimper, Armstrong, J. Cooper and S. Williams. One each is with signature:  "Absolon", "C. Keene".  Two are with signature: "GC" or "GCK" [i.e. George Cruikshank].

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

Publisher's and general advertisements on p. [1-4] 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 morocco-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover blocked in gold with illustration showing a boy sitting on a chair reading.  Illustration and spine with signature: "JL" [i.e. John Leighton].  Spine includes imprint: "Natural History".  With glazed pale yellow endpapers.  With bookseller's label: "Heathcote  Bookbinder  Warwick".  With ownership inscription: "R. Laurie".
Table of contents: value: Prose. Boy king; value: Caribbean pirate; value: Copper and copper mines; value: Cotton and its manufacture; value: Disagreeable young gentlemen; value: Elephant and its calf; value: First pets; value: Gutta percha; value: Hippodrome: with something about the Ancient Games; value: Natural wonders; value: New Year's Day; value: Old Mother Skeggan, and her German stories; value: Peter Parley among the Kaffirs and Hottentots; value: Robin Goodfellow; value: Something about the month of January; value: Something about the month of February; value: Something about the month of March; value: Something about the month of April; value: Something about the month of May; value: Something about the month of June; value: Something about the month of July; value: Something about the month of August; value: Something about the month of September; value: Something about the month of October; value: Something about the month of November; value: Something about the month of December; value: Something for the girls; value: Something about the horse; value: Something about the Icelanders and other northern nations; value: Something about the manufacture of floor cloth; value: Something about mines; value: Something about the various nations who came to the Grand Exhibition; the various nations of mankind; value: Something about the national industry of England; electro-metallurgy, and manufacture of buttons; value: Something about the nuthatch; value: Something about skating; value: Something about sponge and coral; value: Steel pens; value: Welcome; value: Winter gardens; value: Wyclif and his teachings; value: Vision of war; value: Visit to the wax-work; value: Poetry. Lighten our darkness; value: Merry pranks of Robin Goodfellow; value: Old Christmas; value: Song for the spring; value: To a mother; value: Valentine.