Progress update, 20 to 26 July 2013

Welcome to the progress update for the period 20 to 26 July 2013, during which time further excellent progress has been made by Transcribe Bentham volunteers. 10,371 words of Bentham text were transcribed during the last seven days, along with a further 4,905 words of TEI XML.

5,832 manuscripts have now been transcribed or partially-transcribed, which is an increase of 33 on last week’s total. Of these transcripts, 5,555 (95%) have met the required standards, and have been locked.

The more detailed state of progress is as follows:

 

• Box 2: 449 manuscripts transcribed of 753 (59%)
• Box 27: 350 of 350 (100%)
• Box 35: 283 of 439 (64%)
• Box 41: 37 of 528 (6%)
• Box 42: 17 of 500 (2%)
• Box 50: 136 of 198 (68%)
• Box 51: 361 of 940 (38%)
• Box 62: 53 of 565 (9%)
• Box 70: 293 of 350 (83%)
• Box 71: 663 of 663 (100%)
• Box 72: 610 of 664 (91%)
• Box 73: 151 of 151 (100%)
• Box 79: 198 of 199 (99%)
• Box 95: 120 of 147 (81%)
• Box 96: 527 of 539 (97%)
• Box 97: 62 of 296 (20%)
• Box 98: 214 of 499 (42%)
• Box 100: 152 of 422 (34%)
• Box 107: 398 of 538 (73%)
• Box 115: 276 of 307 (89%)
• Box 116: 444 of 864 (51%)
• Box 139: 38 of 38 (100%)
• Overall: 55% of the 10,488 manuscripts currently uploaded to the website have been transcribed.

There was another interesting find from Bentham’s disjointed panopticon notes, transcribed by Keith Thompson, which included a bizarre list of panoptical ‘luxuries’ for expired prisoners. Bentham describes a conservatory into which water flowed ‘through an Urn held by a River God recumbent’, and a heated indoor garden. He also mentions a ‘super-excellent’ organ (shades of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure in his phraseology, there), and the various structures which would be present in the panopticon grounds: these ranged from the primary ‘penal panopticon’, the panopticon for female prisoners, the ‘Ptenotrophium’ (a panoptical fowl-house), a conservatory, and, intriguingly, a ‘Beaver-Park’. All this detail clearly suggests that Bentham’s plans for the panopticon extended much farther than a single building.

As always, many thanks to everyone who has given their time and effort to Transcribe Bentham during the last seven days. It remains as greatly appreciated as ever.