Earthquake in 1906

[bluzman]

35mm film taken in San Francisco in 1906, just before the earthquake. Very interesting!
Ches

 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

[Dave in Tenn]

cool.  Is that Market Street?

[bluzman]

Hi Dave, Yes it is Market Street.
Here is some more info.


THIS IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE!  NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS, NO RULES.

 

This is a fascinating movie. A camera was mounted on the front of a street car in San Francisco 104 years ago (1906).  Perhaps the oldest "home movie" that you will ever see!   I  watched it a couple of times.  Look at the hats the ladies were wearing and the long dresses.   Some of the cars had the steering wheels on the right side.  I wonder when they standardized on the left?  Sure were still a lot of horse drawn vehicles in use.    Mass transit looked like the way to get around.  Looks like everybody had the right of way.

 

Watch the beginning carefully. At the 33 second mark and immediately after an oncoming trolley clears the screen, a well dressed policeman walks across the street from left to right.  Notice his right hand  that he's carrying a truncheon (26 inch police baton) and although he appears walking his beat, he looks ready to use it.  Imagine the police of today walking down the street carrying a 26 inch club in their hand...

   

This film was "lost" for many years.  It was the first 35mm film ever.  It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car.  The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still  there.

 

How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses?  Talk about going green!

   

This  film was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot.  From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows  indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!).  It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April  18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing.

[Dave in Tenn]

I enjoyed that a lot.  And there are still places in the world where the 'flow' of traffic and pedestrians looks a lot like that, though the dress and vehicles have changed a bit.

[grapehound]

Awesome link bluzman, thanks.
Great soundtrack too!

Grape

[Deborah-Leigh]

It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April  18th 1906........

That's an explicit reminder of how things can change, just four days after the street you were on!

I know the feeling. In a positive way that is!

Blessings
Arc

[bluzman]

Hello everyone.
Glad you eenjoyed the film. I watch it over and over, and sometimes I see something that I hadn't noticed previously.
I had done some research a few years ago on that terrible disaster, but had not seen anything prior to the quake, except a few photos of the area.
Kinda gets a body to thinking, doesn't it.
Ches