San Francisco on Film: Days Before the 1906 Quake

reply to post by Aquarius1


You are very kind Aquarius1. I really enjoy looking at the post card that you posted in your first post of this thread. Its amazing how an artists conception is just a little different than the real thing. I have some photos that are old also of my ancestors that came from over seas, they are interesting indeed.

I think what would be really interesting is if someone or some company would colorize that old black and white film so that we could see exactly what everything looked like in color back then. I think that would be spectacular to see. I expect we would see some really different colors than what we currently see.

Too bad they don't make cars that look like those old cars, I wouldn't mind having one.

reply to post by RussianScientists


You are welcome Russian Scientists, if you ever get the opportunity to go to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan you could see some amazing cars from that era, there is one weekend in the summer where cars are on show from all over our country, When my children were growing up we had a family membership and went often throughout the year, we never missed going to see the cars.

The Village is only open from Spring to Fall and I love that, you can watch them making candles, glass blowing and also silver jewelry, plates etc. They also have horse and buggy rides.

I lived in Berkeley but since my best friend lived in San Francisco I spend most weekends in the City, one of our favorite places to go was the Haight-Ashbury area, if you like to people watch that is the place for you.

We are seeing here the final days of the horse...those few years where the two still worked together.

And all the jaywalking! lol

reply to post by Aquarius1


Thank you Aquarius1 for your information about Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. I would love to see those old vintage cars in mint condition without any modern changes, and strangely enough I've always been interested in making candles, plates, glass blowing and the lost wax process of silver jewelry making or any other process as far as that goes. The horse and buggy rides sound like a lot of fun also.

I do like to watch people as long as they are very much like the people in the video; nowadays that is rare and can only be seen at a State Fair or something like that. I'll have to visit the Haight-Ashbury area some time to see what's going on there. I might do that some time when I go the the University of California, Berkeley for a lecture or presentation.

reply to post by Logarock


Those really were the final days of the horse and buggy days (unless you visit an area where the Amish live), and the beginning of the automobile age. I noticed all of the jaywalking myself, and realized how stupid later jaywalking traffic laws really are, as well as most other traffic laws. The flow of traffic and mannerisms of the people is fantastic to say the least. Wish it could be that way in this era.

reply to post by RussianScientists


I loved this however, does anyone hear a high pitched sound when listening to this?

reply to post by Human_Alien


I hear the high pitched noise, it could be from the reels spinning most likely. I personally just turn down the volume and then I don't have to listen to the high pitched squeeling noise in the background.

Hello Russian Scientists Angel One here,
Isnt it really interesting how much soil conditions play a role in earthquake disaster like in San Fransico nobody mentions it a lot but I saw a film where some whole buildings were swallowed. Good to see you here again friend take care.

reply to post by Angel One


It's called Liquefaction that is what happened in the Marina District in the Loma Pieta earthquake in 1989, that whole area was landfilled over the years, thay had the same problem in the 1906 quake, it's amazing how they make the same mistakes over and over, by rebuilding that area will always be in danger and it will happen again.

There was a lot of talk about Liquefaction after the 89 quake in San Francisco, I lived in the area at the time, there was talk of not rebuilding in the Marina but of course they did.

I have always felt a fascination with this era, i love anything like this and always thought i was born in the wrong era, even my family agree.
Everyone seems so peaceful, yet with no knowledge that just days after their would be a catastrophe,
Most of them people probably died a few days later.
If they build a time machine i think this is when i would like to visit

I really enjoyed that film. I have walked down that street a thousand times. Funny to see everyone jaywalking and no traffic lights and everyone going willy nilly. The Ferry Building and clock tower at the base of Market street is there now, much improved but basically the same.

Everyone is happy and carefree, little do they know their world is about to be shattered.

And so much has changed in the last 104 years.

reply to post by Angel One


Hi Angel One, you have a cool name. Its very interesting how different soil types play different roles in earthquakes. Building a home on rock (solid material) is much safer than building on loose material like dirt.

Even down in the substrata the solidity of the material is just as important. If abnormal high pressure is created in a subsurface area where the substrata is not of solid or strong material, then the resulting rupture is much greater than an area where the substrata is of a more solid material.

Water doesn't pressurize, so other materials gives way when water is trapped. This giving way of other materials makes water rise to the surface sometimes through cracks/fissures/faults when abnormally high pressure occur down in the substrata. This can cause liquefaction if the water is forced to the surface in an area where the surface materials are of small particles that start to flow with the water; thereby heavy structures can sink into the ground when such occurrences happen.

Its always good to hear from you Angel One.

reply to post by Aquarius1


You are absolutely right about liquefaction Aquarius1.

Another little tid bit about liquefaction that I haven't told the public about, but I mentioned to friends and family at the time, was that the water in our aquifer started to turn brown with iron particles for a few weeks before the Loma Prieta/San Francisco, California earthquake struck on October 17th, 1989. I could see the iron in the water coming down the ditches, and I could see it making stains around the drains in the sinks and bath tub coming from a well that was approximately 30 feet deep in the ground.

After the earthquake I noticed the brown discoloration of the water from iron particles had stopped and that clorine was making its presence known in our aquifer for a few weeks afterwards. I could see the green/bluish color stains around the drains in the sinks and bath tub. There are salt deposits in the region.

Here is the San Francisco Market St, Full & Repaired Version .

reply to post by avvie


Its sad but true awie. Lots of those people in that video probably did die only days later from that earthquake. Those times in that area look like times of enjoyment and peace. I'd like to visit that period in time also.

reply to post by berkeleygal


Berkeleygal, it must have really been a shock to see the same street that you walk down today in a video over a hundred years old with all of the different buildings and all of the activity taking place. It's a bad thing to think that most of those buildings and people didn't survive the 1906 earthquake.

reply to post by tarifa37


Nice find tarifa37. Your video is about 2 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the one that I linked to, and the video in your video that you found is clearer than the original video that I linked to. Your video that you found starts off and runs for approximately 2 minutes and 14 seconds before the video that I found even starts. Thanks for sharing your find.