A View of the Life, Travels, And Philanthropic Labours of the Late..

1794. A Biography of an Important Reformer Aikin, John [1747-1822]. Hayley, William [1745-1820]. A View of the Life, Travels, And Philanthropic Labours of the Late John Howard, Esq. L.L.D. F.R.S. Boston: Printed by Manning & Loring for J. White [et al.], 1794. vii, [2], 10-178, [2] pp. Ode Inscribed to John Howard has separate title page. 12mo (5-1/4" x 3-1/4"). Contemporary sheep treated to resemble tree calf, gilt fillets and lettering piece to spine, blind tooling to board edges. Light rubbing to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, tiny hole and some darkening to spine, corners bumped, front hinge cracked. Toning to interior, occasional light foxing and faint staining. An appealing copy. $85. * First edition. After being shocked by the conditions of his county prison as high sheriff, Howard dedicated his life to the cause of prison reform and toured hundreds of prisons and hospitals with a particular focus on sanitation. His two major works, The State of the Prisons in England and Wales (1st ed. 1777) and An Account of the Principal Lazarettos in Europe (1st ed. 1789), were widely read and inspired significant reforms to the prison system. A second and final edition of this biography appeared in 1814. Evans, American Bibliography 26542.