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About This Item
London: Jarrold and Sons, 1877. First Edition. Good. First edition, first printing of the classic equine novel; in Carter's variant C binding. Good. Cloth well-worn and soiled, textblock edge lightly spotted, inner hinges repaired, pencil markings to brown coated endsheets, effaced owner name to first blank sheet and owner name in pencil to title page, light cigar smoke odor to pages, pages thumbed. Written by Sewell during the last years of her life, which she spent home-bound. She died five months after it's publication, living just long enough to see the book become a success. It went on to become one of the most well-known books of the Victorian era, as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. Additionally, the novel was notable for being used as a tool to advocate for more humane treatment of horses, drawing attention to a number of restrictive objects commonly in use at the time such as bearing reins and blinkers.
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
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140941318
- Title
- Black Beauty
- Author
- Sewell, Anna
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Jarrold and Sons
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1877
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
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
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- 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...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Soiled
- Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
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