Black Beauty:

An unusually good example of this famous equestrian tale, told from the perspective of a horse. Black Beauty was Quaker author Sewell's only publication, written during periods of ill health between 1871 & 1877, often through dictation to her mother. The book was not immediately a big seller, but word of it soon spread and it quickly became a much-loved classic of children's literature, as well as a bastion for the prevention of cruelty to animals, both in the UK and the US. The aim of the book, Anna Sewell wrote at the time, was to 'induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses' (Mrs Bayly, The life and letters of Mrs Sewell, 1889). Black Beauty is often now recognised as a game-changer in the way that horses were looked after and trained, particularly relating to the usage of the notorious bearing-rein.

The author died just five months after publication. 'Anna Sewell has been neglected by history. In ironic contrast, her only book has achieved phenomenal success. Pirated in America in 1890, its sales broke publishing records. It is said to be "the sixth best seller in the English language"' (E.B. Wells & A. Grimshaw, The Annotated 'Black Beauty',1989).

The binding on this copy is known as 'Carter's variant "C"', relating to a bibliography of binding variants; not the most uncommon issue, but extremely uncommon in such good condition.

First edition; small 8vo (165 x 100 mm.); wood-engraved frontispiece, 8pp. advertisements, contemporary gift inscription to front free endpaper, brown-coated endpapers with some wear at hinges possibly due to the adhesive used for the pastedowns; publisher's green cloth blocked in black with gilt title to spine and upper cover and gold medallion containing horse's portrait to upper cover, a little rubbed at corners, slight rolling of spine, but overall very good.

Wolff 6250a; Carter, More Binding Variants p.37.