M & S Rare Books

Document Information
Our descriptions are copyrighted, and may not be reproduced without permission. (title 17, U. S. Code).

(EDUCATION). (BRITISH MONITORIAL SYSTEM). (LANCASTER, JOSEPH). Manual of the System of the British and Foreign School Society of London for Teaching Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Needle-Work, in the Elementary Schools. London: Printed for Longman and Co., 1816. 1st ed. Tall 8vo. 8, 96 pp. Four plates, including three folding plates. Other charts. Two title pages. Disbound; uncut. Partially unopened. Some leaves wrinkled but very good. Collates complete (as far as we can tell), but signatures do not seem entirely properly imposed, and some preliminary & appendix leaves are out of order. $325.00

 

NUC records a number of editions over a period of 30 or more years, beginning with this one (four copies in the U.S.), but does not collate pp. 88-96, which includes "Specimens of Needlework" (no actual specimens present).

This is Joseph Lancaster's monitorial system. Robert Owen gave the School Society a subscription of 1000 pounds during the early days of his own New Lanark Schools, but by 1814 he found Lancaster's ideas inadequate. Lancaster quarrelled with the committee supporting his school, went bankrupt and in 1818 brought his monitorial system to America.