The Exempt Firemen of San Francisco, Their Unique and Gallant Record. Together with a Résumé of the San Francisco Fire Department and Its Personnel. Historical - Biographical.

San Francisco: Published by Harry C. Pendleton by authority of Exempt Fire Company, 1900 Book. Very fine. Hardcover. First edition. Pp. xvi, 269, [3]. Profusely illustrated with photographic portraits, views (including fire engines), etc.; ads at front and rear. Original red pictorial cloth stamped in black. A very fine copy, without the usual fading. First edition. Extremely rare. Most copies stayed in San Francisco and were ultimately destroyed in the 1906 fire. Includes a complete history of the early San Francisco fire companies and departments and of the Exempt Fire Company, with views and portraits. The second half of the book is devoted to the fire department "of today" and includes photographs of all the horse-drawn engines along with portraits and biographical sketches of all of San Francisco's firemen. Also includes information on the various fires that plagued early San Francisco, the advent of fire insurance, the construction of cisterns, sections (with portraits) on Lillie Hitchcock Coit, the real Tom Sawyer, et al. This work is the most complete history of the fire department published prior to the 1906 fire. The book is truly obscure. Only one copy has sold at auction in the last 50 years; Only five copies are located in institutional collections. [Cowan: p.200; Rocq: 11516]. .