Bidspirit auction | 1906. Morris, Charles. The San

1906. Morris, Charles. The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire. W. E. Scull, 1906. - A first year of publication hardcover copy of The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire, edited by Charles Morris, LL.D. This octavo-sized volume serves as a contemporary historical record of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires. The title page identifies Charles Morris as a member of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia and provides a lengthy subtitle detailing the account of the disaster, the plight of 300,000 homeless residents, and the global rescue efforts. The text includes eyewitness accounts and scientific explanations of volcanic and seismic activity. The copyright page features a printed statement in a three-line border reading: Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1906 by W. E. SCULL, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. All Rights Reserved. The book is bound in the publisher's light blue-grey cloth with pictorial stamping on the front board and spine. The cover art, rendered in black, orange, and gold, depicts the ruins of the San Francisco City Hall and other buildings engulfed in flames. The spine features similar decorative motifs and gold-stamped lettering. The work contains nearly 100 illustrations, primarily black-and-white plates depicting the devastation, including views titled The Magnificent City Hall Shattered by Earthquake, Looking Up California Street, and Millionaires Escaping in Automobiles. Internal pagination includes a section on submarine volcanoes, mud volcanoes, and geysers, beginning on page 424. The binding shows significant age-related wear, including fraying and loss of cloth at the spine head and tail and at the corner tips (photo 3). The spine is heavily toned and sunned to a tan color, contrasting with the blue-grey of the boards (photo 3). There is general shelf wear, light soiling, and rubbing to the pictorial stamping on the front cover (photo 1). The rear board shows uniform fading and a diagonal scratch or scuff mark near the center (photo 2). Internally, the pages exhibit standard age-toning but remain clean and free of significant foxing. The hinges appear intact, though the cloth at the outer joints shows some thinning. No dust jacket is present.