First Edition Signed of Social Activist Mary Carpenter's Red Lodge Girls' Reformatory School

Mary Carpenter

First Edition

[Prison and Incarceration] Mary Carpenter' Red Lodge Girls’ Reformatory School, Bristol—Edition, First Book signed by the pioneering Leader in Girls’ Education, published in 1875 signed “with Miss Carpenter’s Complements”. Original brown boards with gold gilt title. This slim volume is a history of her work at the school and its mission. Mary Carpenter was one of the foremost public speakers of her time and is best remembered for the contribution she made to educational and penal reform. She opened "ragged schools" to give an education to the children of the poor and introduced reformatories which took a caring and constructive stance for young offenders. "The will of each individual girl must be enlisted in her own reformation, and she should be led to feel that without this the efforts of teachers will be useless. Such confidence must be awakened in the minds of the children toward their teachers." Mary Carpenter also campaigned for better education for women and reforms to prisons. Following a meeting with Frederick Douglass, Mary Carpenter became fervently opposed of the slave trade, particularly the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. She traveled extensively in America, Europe and India, where she also sought reforms similar to those she pursued in Britain. She was a pioneer in the field of equality for women and stood almost alone as a female orator who was widely listened to and respected. Free front end paper and engraving of the school separated. Tear in spine shows pages underneath. Textblock clean. Overall good condition.

Item #16339

Price: $225.00