Antique 1831 History of the Orphan Asylum Philadelphia Fire Woodcut Illustrated For Sale

TITLE:** History of the Orphan Asylum, in Philadelphia; With an Account of the Fire, in Which Twenty-Three Orphans Were Burned.

**PUBLISHER:** American Sunday School Union, No. 146 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

**DATE:** c. 1831-1832

**HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:**

This incredibly scarce 19th-century volume details the founding and daily operations of the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum. Most notably, it contains a tragic historical record and a detailed frontispiece woodcut engraving illustrating the horrific fire of January 24, 1822, which completely destroyed the brick structure and claimed the lives of 23 young orphans. A deeply poignant piece of early American juvenile literature and Philadelphia history.

Binding Type: Period quarter-bound binding with a dark spine and marbled paper-covered boards.Exterior Condition: Exhibits moderate surface wear, rubbing, and localized scuffing/scratches across the marbled paper face.Edges & Corners: The corners and edges show noticeable bumping and wear consistent with age, exposing the underlying cardboard core beneath the decorative paper. The spine remains intact.

text block remains tightly bound and structurally sound. The historic title page and highly detailed woodcut frontispiece engraving ("Burning of the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum, January 24, 1822") are completely intact, free of tears, and perfectly legible. The pages show moderate, uniform age-toning typical of 1830s rag paper, with no significant water damage or missing text block sections.Exterior Condition: Period quarter-bound binding consisting of a smooth black spine over marbled paper-covered boards. The exterior presents honest, uniform handling wear. Both the front and rear faces exhibit generalized scuffing, minor surface abrasions, and age-toning to the paper. All four outer board corners are bumped and rubbed through to the underlying cardboard cores. The spine remains firmly attached to the text block.