BLACK BEAUTY. The Autobiography of a Horse

A very attractive early illustrated edition. With ten very beautiful colourplates inclusive of the frontispiece by John M. Burke and ten additional black and white plates from sketches. Tall 8vo, in the publisher's very attractive binding of ribbed black cloth, the upper cover with a large central pastedown from one of Burke's colourplates surronded by an elaborate gilt frame in a horseshoe motif, this within an outer gilt frame with gilt lettering, the spine lettered and ruled in gilt and with two gilt horseshoe decorations. viii, 291 pp. A very nice copy of this pretty book, the binding cloth unfaded, the cover decoration still vivid and bright, a touch of wear to the edge of the pastedown, the spine lettering dulled and dark, clean but for a bit of toning to the paper, a few leaves with minor spotting as well.

Edizione: a beautiful and yet quite uncommon illustrated edition of one of the world's best loved animal stories. with the exception of cecil aldin's illustrated edition we can't think of a prettier format we've seen for the title.<br> black beauty is the only book anna sewell ever wrote. it is a timeless story which relates events in the life of a horse which suffers great cruelty and despair but for whom there is the ultimate eventuality of a happy home. this novel became an immediate success and in its day caused the altering of human behaviour towards and treatment of domesticated animals. unfortunately anna sewell would never realize her dream of experiencing the changes she wrote and fought for as she died only a few months after the book?s publication having never received more then ?20 for her literary efforts. the novel struck home in an immediate and especially meaningful way for animal lovers and for animal rights activists in their struggles for the humane treatment of animals. in the intervening years since its publication it has become a revered classic of the highest order . it has become known as ?the uncle tom?s cabin of the horse?