ANNUALS, the name given to a class of pleasant and graceful publications, which for some years enjoyed an extraordinary amount of public favor, intended for Christmas, New Year, and birthday presents, in imitation of the gift-books so popular among the Germans. They were illustrated by exquisitely engraved prints, from paintings by artists of the highest talent, and contained prose and poetry by most of the best writers of the day. The first of them, the Thrget-me-not, edited by Frederick Shoberl, was begun in London in 1822. The idea, and even the title, were adopted from Germany by the Messrs. Ackermann, the London publishers. The following year, two others made their appearance—Friendship's Offering, published by Smith and Elder, which had for successive editors, Mr. T. K. Hervey, Mr. Pote, Mr. Thomas Pringle, Mr. W. H. Ains worth, and Mr. Leitch Ritchie; and the Graces, containing a series of elegant poems on the months by the Rev. Dr. Croly. All three, in addition to their literary and pictorial contents, had at first the blank paper for memoranda, cash accounts, etc. which were customary in the gift pocket-books of previous times. The Literary etc., com menced in 1824 by Mr. Alaric A. Watts, was the first to discard these, and to exhibit a vast improvement on this class of embellished works. Thenceforth, the several publish ers vied with each other in their efforts to render their respective A., every succeeding year, more and more attractive. The Literary Souvenir was followed by the Amulet, started by Mr. S. C. Hall, and,edited by his wife; the Winter's Wreath, a provincial annual; and the Keepsake, the latter commenced in 1827 by Mr. Charles Heath, an emi nent engraver. Up to this time, the price of all the A. was 12s. each: the Keepsake, how ever, was published at a guinea. Its first editor was Mr. W. II. Ainsworth. The fol lowing year, the editorship was offered to Sir Walter Scott, with a salary of £800, and payment besides for his contributions to its pages, but was declined by him. It was then placed under the charge of Mr. F. M. Reynolds, who continued to superintend it for many years. The Keepsake always maintained a high aristocratic character, the con tributors preferred being those who could boast a title. In 1840, it came out under the editorship of lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley. It was afterwards edited by the countess of Blessington. So popular did the A. become, that in 1829 no fewer than 17 were pub lished. In 1840, the number had dwindled to 9. The Book of Beauty, long one of the best of the series, was begun in 1833 by Mr. Charles Heath. The first volume was written by Miss Landon (L. E. L.), the engravings being principally after drawings by Frank Stone. The volume for 1834 was placed under the editorship of the countess of Blessington, who conducted it to the close of her life. Mr. Heath had also the Pictu resque Annual, and the Children of the lsrobility—the latter commenced in 1838. The Jure wile Album, an annual for children, was published by the Messrs. Ackermann. Scien tific A. also made their appearance, and the musical world had its Musical Bijou. Thomas Hood started the Comic Annual; and among other popular publications of the class were Fisher's Draming-room Scrap-book, edited at first by Miss Landon, afterwards by Mrs. Howitt, and latterly by the honorable Mrs. Norton; and Fisher's Juvenile Scrap
book, edited by Mrs. Ellis; the Oriental Annual, the Historical Annual, and the Gift and Token, American productions. At first, the A. were all bound up in tinted paper, and inclosed in a case; but competition produced a great improvement in their external appearance, ashvell as in their inside attractions. Paper gave place to silk; then fol lowed morocco bindings, and afterwards velvet. The sums of money expended on the several departments were enormous. Mr. Heath's outlay for the literary portion alone of the second volume of the Keepsake amounted to no less than £1000. Of this sum, Sir Walter Scott received £500 for the liberty of printing in it his juvenile drama of the House of Aspen, Aunt Margaret's Mirror, and two other little tales. To many engravers, the illustrations formed almost their sole employment. Sums varying from 20 to 150 guineas were paid to artists for the loan of pictures for engravings,. of the size of 4 in. by 3; and engravers frequently received 150 guineas for the production of one plate. For several years, nearly £100,000 per annum was expended on the production of the A., and 150,000 copies of them were yearly sold. The sale of the Forget-me-not alone was at one time 20,000 copies. In their most flourishing period, a calculation of their expenses and profits was made,which may be here quoted. For 150,000 volumes, including the guinea-books, of which there were always two or three, the public paid about £90,000, thus distributed: Authors and editors, £6000; painters, £3000; engravers, £12,000; cop perplate printers, £4000; printers, £3500; paper-makers, £5500; binders, £9000; silk manufacturers and leather-sellers, £4000; advertising, etc., £2000; incidental expenses, £1000; publishers' profits, £10,000; retail booksellers' profits, £30,000—total, £90,000.
After 1840, the demand for the A. began to decline. At the best, there had been a sickly sentimentalism in the bulk of their articles; and at all events, this class of works had been mainly addressed to the refined and affluent. Better tastes in literature now began to prevail, and there was a feeling that A. had had their day. Deserted by public favor, the character both of their engravings and their literary contents became greatly deteriorated, and they ceased to have any attraction, either as literary productions or works of art. Publishers no longer found them safe speculations, and gradually discon tinued them. They dropped out, one by one, like spent stars, from the literary firma ment. The Literary Souvenir had been discontinued in 1834, after the publication of 10 volumes. The Forget-me-not, the first in the field, saw its 22d year. The Book of Beauty and the Keepsake were the last of their race. The latter, on the death of the countess of Blessington, was placed under the editorship of her niece, Miss Power. The Keepsake of 1850, the engravings in which were under the superintendence of Mr. F. Heath, was the only relic of the past; and in that year it ceased to exist.