Today In History: Anna Sewell Publishes Black Beauty

"White star in the forehead, one white foot on the off side, this little knot just in that place"; then, looking at the middle of my back -- "and as I am alive, there is that little patch of white hair that John used to call 'Beauty's three penny-bit'. It must be Black Beauty!  Why, Beauty! Beauty, do you know me, little Joe Green that almost killed you?" And he began patting me and patting me, as if he was quite overjoyed.

I could not say that I remembered him, for now he was a fine grown young fellow with black whiskers and a man's voice, but I was sure he knew me and was Joe Green; so I was very glad. I put my nose up to him, and tried to say that we were friends. I never saw a man so pleased.

-- Anna Sewell, Black Beauty, Ch. 49, My Last Home, p. 191.

On November 24th, 1877,  Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions: Autobiography of a Horse (London, Jarred and Sons) was published to great acclaim, only several months before its author, Anna Sewell, died. Written from the perspective of a horse, this children's novel recounts the life of Black Beauty, from his early years on an English farm with his mother Duchess, to his hardship in pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement back in the country. An immediate best-seller, the novel drew attention to its description of cruelty to horses, including the bearing rein; practice of clipping ears and tails; and insufficient food, water, and housing.  Animal rights activists took heed, leading to reforms for the humane treatment of horses, which grew awareness of the need for better treatment of animals in general.  The moral lessons of each chapter also inspired religious teachings to children at the turn of the 20th century.

The book was adapted multiple times to film, television, and theater.  Interestingly, a student's edition of Black Beauty found its place in The Thorndike Library, which comprised classic works of literature and primers for different grades that Professor Edward L. Thorndike of Teachers College Columbia University evaluated and edited for readability. 

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• C, E. H. (1892, Aug 10). The Torture Caused by the Check-Rein. New - York Tribune (1866-1899) 
• The 100 Best Sunday-School Books. (1894, Aug 08). The Washington Post (1877-1922) 
• Two Noted Works in Screen Form: "Black Beauty" and "The Witching Hour" Among Local Offerings.  (1921, Mar 19). St.Louis Post - Dispatch (1879-1922) 
• Tinee, M. (1933, May 16). 'Black Beauty' Great Film for Animal Lovers: Critic Ssks Support for Clean Photoplay. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) 
• Polk, N. (1987, Aug 30). Living with Books, 15,000 of Them. New York Times (1923-) 
• Turan, K. (1994, Jul 29). A Solid, Loving Tale of 'Beauty': Created, as the Novel Was, From the Heart, This 'Black Beauty' Is As Simple and Straightforward as Its Source. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Jay Carr, G. S. (1994, Jul 29). A Stunningly Faithful 'Black Beauty'. Boston Globe (1960-) 
• Cleveland Amory, 81, Animal-Rights Advocate. (1998, Oct 16). Chicago Tribune (1997-) 
• Battersby, E. (2008, Sep 27). Second Reading 30: Black Beauty. The Irish Times (1921-) 
• Simon, S. (2011, Jan 05). Rethinking Horse Slaughterhouses: Animal-Welfare Groups Are Joining Ranchers in a Push to Revive an Industry That Died in 2007. Wall Street Journal (1923-) 

Tips:

• Reed, Nat, and Anna Sewell. A Literature Kit for Black Beauty. 1st ed., Classroom Complete Press, 2006. e-book.
• Sewell, Anna, and Cecil Aldin. Black Beauty. 1st ed., Quarto Publishing Group USA, 2016. e-book.
• Sewell, Anna, and Edward L. Thorndike. Black Beauty. D. Appleton-Century Company, Incorporated,  1935. Closed Stacks Juvenile ; PZ10.3.S38 1935.
• Sewell, Anna, and John Beer. Black Beauty. Dodd, Mead & Co., 1941.  Closed Stacks Juvenile ; PZ10.3.S38 Bl 1941.
• Thorndike, Edward L. Improving the Ability to Read. Teachers College Bureau of Publications, 1935. Edward L. Thorndike Collection, Teachers College Digital Collections.

Images:

• The Horse, Jerry, Feeding from a Basket. 1930. From the Rothman Lantern Slide Collection, Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Black Beauty Cover, First Edition, 1877. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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