Fireside stories
By: by Peter Parley (from the magazine and annual).
Contributors: Martin, William, 1801-1867.; Weir, Harrison, 1824-1906.; Griffiths, Henry, d. 1849.; Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878.; Williams, Samuel, 1788-1853.; Goodrich, Samuel G. 1793-1860.; Gregory, Collins & Reynolds.
Publisher: Darton and Co.
Published: 1846
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 188
Subjects: Gift books -- Specimens.; Children's literature -- Periodicals.; Boys -- Periodicals.
Genres: Specimens.; Periodicals.
Other titles: Peter Parley's annual; Peter Parley's magazine
Notes: Date based on form of publisher's name and original publication date of stories. Cf. Brown, Philip A. H.  London publishers and printers, 1982.

"The present Tales are taken from Peter Parley's Magazine and Annual, which possess nearly the largest circulation of any periodical work, yet price puts them out of the reach of a large number of readers, who would gladly possess them in the present shape.  Should the purchaser find that his young friend has the same Tales in the Annual, the proprietor feels assured that the bookseller would not hesitate for a moment to exchange the book for any other volume of the same value."--Preface.

Consists of selections from the 1846 edition of "Peter Parley's annual: a Christmas and New Year's present for young people", 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".  Cf. Darton, F. J. Harvey.  Children's books in England, 1982.

Preliminary colour wood-engraved plate is with signature: "H. Weir. Del" and imprint: "Gregory, Collins and Reynolds 3. Charterhouse Square.".

Plate [2] is probably a transfer lithograph of an originally steel-engraved image.  Plate is with signature: "H. Griffiths Sct." and is with title caption.

Most wood-engraved illustrations within the text are unsigned.  Two are with signature: "GC" or "GCK" [i.e. George Cruikshank].  One of these also includes signature: "S. Williams".

"Peter Parley's annual" is 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 "Peter Parley's 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 vertical rib-grain cloth blocked in gold and blind; a.e.g.  Upper cover blocked in gold with illustration similar to those within the text.  With light yellow endpapers.  Lacking lower free endpaper.  Lacking p. 177-178.
Table of contents: value: Peter Parley's New Year's parley; value: An account of one Jack Frost; value: The pilgrim; value: Ancient cities; value: Something about serpents; value: Merinos; value: Deer; value: St. Peter's at Rome; value: Tea; value: Gibraltar; value: St. Saviour's, Southwark; value: Egyptian schools; value: The Tage Malial; value: Parley's walks about London; value: Story of Drake; value: Palms; value: Ruins of Babylon; value: The deformed child; value: Lighthouses; value: The coming of spring; value: Fables; value: Stories about beasts, birds, insects, and fishes; value: The seasons: a dialogue in verse; value: Travels in various places; value: The mocking bird; value: Stories of the Queens of England; value: Story of a miser; value: Travels in various places by a young sailor; value: Mungo Park and the frogs; value: Walks among the ruins of Athens; value: A Chinese story, of modern date; value: Stories from English history; value: Stories about fishes.