Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) - photo 1

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)

Lot 281
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1109081
Lot 281 | Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Autograph letter signed (‘Jeremy Bentham’) to Sir Charles Bunbury (‘Dear Sir’), Hendon, Middlesex, 31 October 1793
3 pages, 232 x 188mm, bifolium, docketed in another hand. Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 22 May 1998, lot 154.

The Panopticon: Jeremy Bentham on prison reform. Bentham has just received a letter from a Philip Metcalfe informing him that a new jail is to be built at Bury and urging him to apply to Bunbury, who shares some of his plans. He declares himself ‘in a state of permanent requisition', placing himself at Bunbury's command: 'With regard to every thing that is personal to myself, my wishes are abundantly gratified by the National establishment: but for the benefit of the country, should my humble endeavours prove successful in its service, my ambition goes to no less than becoming, under the auspices of Sir Charles Bunbury, Jailor, as Lord Kenyon is Chief Justice of all England. Either I am mistaken, or I could save money to the gentlemen of the county, to say nothing of what they will look upon as the more important saving, that of misery and wickedness to the prisoners'. His recommendation, he continues, is to wait until the 'the practicability and utility of the Panopticon mode of construction has been proved or disproved by the experiment which is so speedily to be made, and upon so large a scale', adding that he is preparing a bill for Pitt for that purpose.

Bentham developed the idea of the Panopticon – a circular institutional building designed for maximum oversight by the smallest possible number of managers – in the late 1780s; on his return from Russia and after abortive early approaches to establish the Panopticon prison in Ireland, he focused instead on its foundation in England, writing to William Pitt in 1791 to suggest he might develop the scheme himself. He received no immediate reply, but slowly began to win support and political allies, including William Wilberforce and the recipient of the present letter, Sir Charles Bunbury. By May 1792 the home secretary, Henry Dundas, had taken an interest in the project. In May 1793 Bunbury, who was one of the commissioners appointed under the 1779 Penitentiary Act, spoke in the House of Commons about the scandals surrounding transportation to Botany Bay and recommended Bentham's plan to the government, as one where 'well regulated prisons calculated to reform offenders, and to convert the dissolute and idle into good and industrious subjects, would be provided at a cheaper rate than vessels in the Thames'. Bentham spent some sixteen years of his life developing and refining his ideas for the Panopticon and hoping that the government would adopt the plan for a National Penitentiary appointing him as contractor-governor, but his proposals were never to come to fruition.
Artist:Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832)
Place of origin:England
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£2 500
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£5 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£5 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£1 500
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£4 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£3 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and Jeremiah Bentham (1712-1792)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and Jeremiah Bentham (1712-1792)
£3 000
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
£3 000

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>