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Black Beauty
by Sewell, Anna
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Jarrold and Sons, 1877. First edition, first printing, published by Jarrold and Sons in 1877. Carter's variant C binding. The book is firmly bound in the publisher's brown cloth, lettered and decorated in gilt and black. The boards are a little marked with some light repairs to the corners and spine ends. The text block is a little foxed and toned - the gutters show repair - some corners of the pages have been repaired. 247 pages with 8 pages of adverts to the rear. The 'C' binding was probably the standard trade issue, with 'A' and 'B' being either publisher's presentation bindings, or a more expensive deluxe issue. The text block and ads appear to be the same for all three. The story highlights the mistreatment of horses during the Victorian era and raises awareness about animal welfare. Black Beauty faces both kind and cruel owners, working as a carriage horse, a cab horse, and in other roles. Throughout the book, the horse narrates his experiences and shares his thoughts and feelings, providing insights into the hardships and joys of his life.
Synopsis
First published under the full title: Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions. The Autobiography of a Horse. Translated from the Equine, by Jarrold and Sons London in 1877, the novel now known as simply Black Beauty was written by English author Anna Sewell. The first American editions from 1890 have the added title ' The “Uncle Tom's Cabin” of the Horse' as promoters of the novel hoped it would do for animal welfare what Stowe's novel did for the abolition of slavery. Anna Sewell was born in 1820 in Great Yarmouth, England. She suffered an accident as a child that left her crippled and dependent on carriage horses as her main source of mobility. She began writing Black Beauty in 1871, and continued through 1877 though her health was deteriorating. In December 1876 she wrote in her diary "I have been confined to the house and to my sofa, from time to time, when I am able, been writing what I think will turn out a little book, its special aim being to induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment of horses". Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful children's author, and Anna helped edit her books, and later her mother helped Anna transcribe Black Beauty . An animal autobiography, told by the magnificent black horse himself, this is the dramatic and heartwarming tale of Black Beauty's life-from his idyllic days on a country squire's estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse. Although not originally intended as a children's novel, but for people who work with horses, it soon became a children's classic. Two years after the release of Black Beauty in the United States there were one million copies in circulation. Today Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books in history, with over 50 million copies sold in 50 different languages. The earliest dated inscribed copies are Christmas 1877. Although the book was an immediate bestseller, Sewell lived just long enough to see her first and only novel become a success – she died on 25 April 1878.
Read More: Identifying first editions of Black Beauty
Reviews
On Sep 8 2005, Marydeme said:
While living at Squire Gordon's country estate, the spirited young horse, Black Beauty, is well taken care of an happy. But when the squire is forced to sell off his horses, Black Beauty's life changes as he is passed from one curel master to another. After much hardship and perseverance, Black Beauty finds a home full of love and kindness.
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Details
- Bookseller
- John Atkinson Books
(GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 10896
- Title
- Black Beauty
- Author
- Sewell, Anna
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Jarrold and Sons
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1877
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
John Atkinson Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
John Atkinson Books
Biblio member since 2008
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
About John Atkinson Books
Offering rare and unique signed books not available elsewhere with constant changes in stock. Our showroom holds 100 rare first editions
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Text Block
- Most simply the inside pages of a book. More precisely, the block of paper formed by the cut and stacked pages of a book....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Foxed
- Foxing is the age related browning, or brown-yellowish spots, that can occur to book paper over time. When this aging process...
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