Colonie agricole et pénitentiaire de Mettray

[Paris]: Imp. de Lemercier, [1840?]. First Edition. Original cloth backed publisher's burgundy patterned, gilt stamped cloth. This copy has the original binder's ticket from Barth in Tours.. Very good; title-page somewhat spotted; some modest scuffing to the binding; hinges strained; the plates have some scattered, modest spotting.. Oblong folio. Tinted lithographic title and 20 tinted lithographic plates.

A facility for juvenile delinquents that was founded by Frederic Demetz in 1840. It was revolutionary at the time because it was the first segregated penal institution for juveniles. The goal was to rehabilitate juvenile criminals by promoting manual labor, education, religious, and moral instruction. The book offered here illustrates daily life at Mettray. The camp fell into disarray and overcrowding in the late 19th century and became infamous for its cruel and harsh treatment. Jean Genet spent time at Mettray as a youth and wrote about his experiences. The lithography is by Sauve, Tirpenne and Faivre after A Thierry. See J. Bourquin et E. Pierre, 'Une visite à Mettray par l'image: l'album de gravures de 1844,' in "Sociétés & Représentations", 2004/2 (no. 18), p. 207-216.