1840 Anna Sewell

1840s Paisley Floral Cotton Print – Alexander Anderson, England

Based on a textile design by Alexander Anderson (England, ca. 1840–1855), preserved in the Powerhouse Museum collection. This lively pattern features stylised paisley leaves outlined in crimson and white, set against alternating teal and deep brown grounds with scattered miniature blossoms.

Typical of mid-19th-century English cotton prints, the design blends Eastern-inspired paisley curves with the Victorian love of rhythmic floral geometry.

Perfect for 1840s–1850s dresses, wrappers, or decorative projects — vivid, elegant, and full of movement. Printed on fine cotton for both historical and creative modern use.

Anna Sewell, born 30 March 1820 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, was a British writer.

At the age of fourteen she broke her ankle and received poor medical treatment; this, combined with a joint disease, left her unable to use her legs and feet and could only get around with the help of a horse and cart. She then came to love horses, but noticed that many horses were treated badly by their owners.

In 1871, she was told by a doctor that she only had eighteen months to live. She then began writing her first and only book, the novel Black Beauty 1877, which deals with the fate of a horse. She lived for another seven years after the death sentence, but towards the end was so weak that she could only write a few lines at a time, and her mother helped her with the clean writing.

Sewell died only a few months after the novel was published and therefore never experienced its great success. In 2003, Black Beauty was ranked number 58 in the BBC's list of the most popular British books.

The novel is seen today as a children's book but was originally written to encourage people to treat horses with love and understanding.