Peter Parley's annual
Subtitle: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people.
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Howitt, Mary, 1799-1888.; Absolon, John, 1815-1895.; Gilbert, John, Sir, 1817-1897.; Weir, Harrison, 1824-1906.; Cooper, James Davis, 1823-1904.; Keene, Charles, 1823-1891.; Hine, Henry George, 1811-1895.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Whitmore, Henry, bookseller.; Gregory, Collins & Reynolds.; Lewis and Son
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1848
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 magazine
Notes: Added colour wood-engraved illustrated t.p. with imprints: "Printed in Colors by Reynolds & Collins" and "From a Drawing by John Absolon".

Most colour wood-engraved plates are with imprints: "Printed in Colors by Collins & Reynolds" or "Printed in Colors by Reynolds & Collins" and "From a Drawing by" John Absolon, John Gilbert or Harrison Weir.  Plates include areas printed in colour with metal.    All are with title captions.

Includes "A List of the Plates Printed in Colours, from drawings by Absalon [sic], Gilbert, and Weir.": p. [1] at beginning.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  A few are signed as engraved by J. Cooper after C. Keene.  One is with signature: "HGH" [i.e. Henry George Hine?] and another is signed [JBne?].

With wood-engraved illustrated and decorative initials and tail-pieces.

Publishers' advertisements on p. [1-16] 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 fine morocco-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover blocked in gold with illustration similar to those within the text.  Upper cover tooled with owner's initials: "R. H. L.".  With pastel yellow painted endpapers.  With bookseller's label: "H. Whitmore.  Market Street  Opposite the Talbot Inn  Manchester.".  With hand-painted elaborate paper ownership label dated "Octr. 20th1847": "R. H. Lightfoot."
Table of contents: value: A bridge; value: A posy of anecdotes / by Mary Howitt; value: Alfred and his pony; value: An excursion through Mona; value: Death of Richard I, King of England; value: Female heroism; value: Heroism of the British: Cochrane at Basque Roads; value: Lady Grey pleading with Edward IV for the restoration of her children's inheritance; value: Maternal affection; value: Natural history; value: Opening the gate; value: Parley's geographical sketches; value: Peter Parley's lectures for little ones; value: Peter playful; value: School experience; value: Something about Egypt; value: Something about seals; value: Something about seeing; value: Something about trades; value: Something about the beaver; value: Something wonderful: perpetual fire of Baku; value: Something wonderful again: fountains; value: Story of a king; value: Story of a sailor boy; value: The bell; value: The boa-constrictor; value: The bread-fruit; value: The crocodile; value: The eagle; value: The king and the spider; value: The selfish man; value: The siege of Acre; value: The siege of Antioch; value: The squirrel tree; value: The two Antoinettes; or Sentiment and sensibility; value: The two friends; exemplified in sympathy and gratitude; value: The two heroes; or, Theatrical mad; value: The whale; value: Wars of the Dark Ages; value: Poetry. A boat song; value: A child's love; value: Boy and bird; value: Let me talk with pretty flowers; value: The child's dream; value: The horse; value: The lark; value: The lion; value: The mother and her child; value: The regal swallow; value: The squirrel; value: To a child six years old; value: To a dandelion which grew near a sick chamber.