1896 The History of the Convict Hulk Success and Success Prisoners

Description

Publishers' Original Binding, Very Scarce

In the publisher's original wraps.

Illustrated throughout, with a frontispiece and many full page illustrations depicting the treatment of prisoners. 

Collated, complete.

A scarce edition of this work, as it is not listed on copac.  This is an early publication of this work.

Tipped in to the verso of the front wrap are two newspaper articles regarding convict ships.

'The Success' was an Australian prison ship which was later converted into a floating museum at the turn of the 20th century to represent the horrors of penal transportation in Great Britain and the United States of America. This book forms a guidebook to the museum as to the preface it is stated 'the following series of incidents in connection with the Convict Hulk 'success' has been compiled specifically for the information of those visitors to the vessel, who may desire to learn fuller particulars concerning her history and the lives of those who at one time filled her cells, than can be gleaned in the space of a short visit'. 

The prison ship burned down in 1946 shortly before it was due to be dismantled and sold as scrap after extensive world tours as a museum. 

The title page notes that this work is 'a vivid fragment of colonial history'.  This work reflects on the cruel treatment, and produces a picture of those who tried to fight for the fairer treatment of prisoners.