1932 Rare First Wheelwright Illustrated Edition – Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Author: Anna Sewell. Illustrated by Rowland Wheelwright.
Title: Black Beauty. An Autobiography of a Horse.
Publisher: London, George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1932. First illustrated edition of Black Beauty by Rowland Wheelwright.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8" x 6".
Pages: 247 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original publisher’s olive-green cloth binding with a striking illustrated cover in green, black, blue, and white depicting Black Beauty against a wooded backdrop. The spine is lettered in black with a vignette of a rider on horseback (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean ,with light age toning and scattered foxing throughout, particularly to preliminaries and margins - as shown, previous owner's gift inscription on the front endpaper dated 1934 - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with 8 beautiful full-page color illustrations by Rowland Wheelwright, all present and in very good condition.
The Book: This is the first illustrated edition of Black Beauty by Rowland Wheelwright, published in 1932 by George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. Wheelwright’s vivid and emotive color plates breathe new life into Anna Sewell’s beloved equine narrative, offering readers not only the timeless story of compassion, hardship, and resilience through the eyes of a horse but also a visual journey of its most poignant moments. The inclusion of 8 full-page color illustrations makes this a particularly desirable edition for collectors and admirers of equestrian literature.
The book retains its original charm, with its delightful Art Deco-style binding —a design that encapsulates the noble simplicity of the tale within. A moving story for readers of all generations, and a visual delight in this finely produced edition.
The Author: Anna Sewell (1820–1878) was an English novelist best known for Black Beauty, her only published work. Written in the final years of her life and published just months before her death, the novel was intended to inspire kindness and humane treatment of horses. Though marketed originally as a children's book, Black Beauty became a powerful vehicle for animal welfare reform and has remained one of the best-selling books of all time.
The Illustrator: Rowland Wheelwright (1870–1955) was an accomplished Australian-born artist and illustrator who settled in England and became known for his landscape and equestrian paintings. His naturalistic style and keen sense of movement and emotion made him particularly well-suited to illustrating Black Beauty. His eight full-color illustrations in this 1932 edition provide a vibrant and dramatic visual counterpart to Sewell's deeply humane narrative.