Imitation. Affectionately inscribed by the Author to her sister, Mrs. Basil Montagu
by Benson, Maria
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed for Darton, Harvey, and Darton, 1817. First edition. Publisher's quarter roan over marbled boards with gilt to spine. Measuring 135 x 80mm and collating complete including frontis: [4], 216. A charming example, with gentle bumps to corners and binding firm; rebacked with original spine laid down. Contemporary gift inscription to recto of frontis: "Fanny Tomkinson given her by Miss Morris. Febry 16th 1824." Slight offsetting to title and occasional foxing, but overall a fresh, unmarked example. Scarce institutionally and in trade, we have located 8 examples in OCLC. The present is the only copy currently on the market.
An author of pedagogical texts and instructional novels, including Thoughts on Education, Maria Benson infused even her fictional work with lessons that encouraged women's learning. Following the adventures of Agatha Torrington, Imitation suggests that while girls should to some extent learn social graces and good behavior from the women around them, copying such behaviors is insufficient and can lead to danger. Prone to mimicking any and everything as a child, Agatha initially has no real sense of taste or even of self; she instead follows whimsically along copying other girls' clothes and actions. Notably, blame does not fall on Agatha, but on a wider system. She had been taught by her mother, and no one "informed Mrs. Torrington that she was not a proper person to educate the little Agatha...Her own education had been such...as to render her very unsuitable for an undertaking so arduous as the education of a child." This situation is contrasted against that of an orphaned neighbor; raised by her sensible grandparents, this little girl was taught in a Lancastrian school, gained self-knowledge and by ten was already well-read. As the two girls grow, Benson's point is quite clear: a society that discourages women's education has poor outcomes for all, and to that end, all girls and women should learn regardless of their future roles.
An author of pedagogical texts and instructional novels, including Thoughts on Education, Maria Benson infused even her fictional work with lessons that encouraged women's learning. Following the adventures of Agatha Torrington, Imitation suggests that while girls should to some extent learn social graces and good behavior from the women around them, copying such behaviors is insufficient and can lead to danger. Prone to mimicking any and everything as a child, Agatha initially has no real sense of taste or even of self; she instead follows whimsically along copying other girls' clothes and actions. Notably, blame does not fall on Agatha, but on a wider system. She had been taught by her mother, and no one "informed Mrs. Torrington that she was not a proper person to educate the little Agatha...Her own education had been such...as to render her very unsuitable for an undertaking so arduous as the education of a child." This situation is contrasted against that of an orphaned neighbor; raised by her sensible grandparents, this little girl was taught in a Lancastrian school, gained self-knowledge and by ten was already well-read. As the two girls grow, Benson's point is quite clear: a society that discourages women's education has poor outcomes for all, and to that end, all girls and women should learn regardless of their future roles.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5735
- Title
- Imitation. Affectionately inscribed by the Author to her sister, Mrs. Basil Montagu
- Author
- Benson, Maria
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Printed for Darton, Harvey, and Darton
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1817
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Recto
- The page on the right side of a book, with the term Verso used to describe the page on the left side.
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...
- Poor
- A book with significant wear and faults. A poor condition book is still a reading copy with the full text still readable. Any...
- Bumps
- Indicates that the affected part of the book has been impacted in such a way so as to cause a flattening, indention, or light...
- Marbled boards
- ...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....