Beautiful Joe - An Autobiography

This is an early copy of "BEAUTIFUL JOE" - An Autobiography by Marshall Saunders. 1903; The Judson Press; Philadelphia. This edition features a frontispiece portrait of Saunders and other full-page plates; there are decorative pieces at the beginning and end of the chapters. Told from the point of view of a dog, the book tells the true story of a dog ("Joe" from Ontario, who was the inspiration for the story) that has had a difficult puppyhood with many obstacles including a cruel owner. The first book to sell over one million copies in Canada, "Beautiful Joe" contributed to worldwide awareness of animal cruelty.

Condition:
Light soiling to the covers and spine; there is a small, white stain on the back cover. Sharp cover corners. There is a crack at the front hinge between the end paper and pastedown with the webbing exposed resulting in the front cover being shaky. There is a 3/4" tear to the paper at the top of the hinge between the rear end paper and pastedown. The text pages are in excellent condition and appear unread - clean with no issues found. Previous owner's bookplate affixed to front pastedown. A bit of the owner's signature on the bookplate has created a partial shadow outline on the facing end paper. Small, light stain at the left edge of the front pastedown. Overall the book is in Good- condition.