Printed and Manuscript Americana

Baltimore: Printed for and sold by J. Kingston, 1812. First edition. 8vo. 48 pp., including one leaf of ads. Stab-sewn gatherings; uncut; small losses along edges of first three leaves; abrasion in upper title-page from presumed erased signature; loss in top edge E2, but not affecting text; scattered small wear along edges; light foxing and scattered small dampstaining; in quarter linen folder. Sabin 71187; Shaw & Shoemaker 26386

Rare first edition account of the December 26, 1811 Richmond Theatre Fire, at the time the deadliest urban disaster in American history. The night of the tragedy, more than 600 spectators (six-percent of the city's population) gathered in the theater to view two full-length plays. The conflagration broke out after a lit chandelier was mistakenly raised, causing the backdrops and then the roof to catch fire. The ensuing disaster resulted in the death of over 70 individuals, including Virginia's newly-elected governor, George William Smith, former Senator Abraham B. Venable, and many of Richmond's society elites. As a memorial, the Monumental Church was erected on the site, where many of the victims are interred.

Rare to auction. According to RBH, this is the first copy offered since 1929. We can locate only nine institutional copies, at the Library of Congress; American Antiquarian Society; Library of Virginia; University of Virginia; Brown University Library; Boston Athenaeum; Rubenstein Library, Duke University; The Claremont Colleges Library; Massachusetts Historical Society.