Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Griffiths, Henry, d. 1849.; Williams, Samuel, 1788-1853.; Gray, Charles, engraver, d. 1847; Whymper, Josiah Wood, 1813-1903.; Sears, Henry, engraver, fl. 1830s; Landells, Ebenezer, 1808-1860.; Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Doudney, David Alfred, 1811-1894 (printer)
Publisher: Darton and Clark
Published: 1845
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 engraved and etched lines and with areas printed in an aquatint-like process, on a yellow-beige background tint.  Plate with imprint: "Griffith's Patent.".  Preliminary plate printed in the same process and with imprint: "Griffith's Patent on Steel".    Plate is unsigned.

Steel-engraved plates are unsigned and without imprint.  All are with title captions.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  Some are signed as engraved by S. Williams, W. G. Armstrong, G. & C. Wall, Gray, Whimper, Sears and Landells.  One is also with signature: "J. Browne" and two include signature "GC" or "GCK" [i.e. George Cruikshank].

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 fine morocco-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover and spine blocked in gold with small vignette-like illustrations.  With light beige glazed endpapers.  With presentation inscription dated "Christmas 1844".
Table of contents: value: Tales about dogs; value: Parley's zodiacal sketches; value: Historical localities; value: Tales about the Indians; value: Monkeys; value: Story of the Great St. Bernard; value: Something about the zebra; value: Tales of the kings of England; value: Something about goats; value: Lions of London; value: Adventures of Balboa; value: Something about the rhinoceros; value: A word about the hippopotamus; value: Days of fishing; value: The Saxon martyrs; value: A tale of a tiger; value: The rich girl and poor boy; value: Anecdotes of Lord Nelson; value: Rose Vernon; value: The newspaper-boy; value: Views of places; value: A pinch of salt; or, The mines of Wielicska; value: Something about camels; value: The bamboo; value: The tuning-fork; value: Song of a little blind musician; value: The disagreeable surprise; value: The cocoa-nut; value: Christiana of Holstein; value: The ill-bred puppy.