Sunday,
April 14, 1906 - This short film was made Just 4 days before the great
earthquake and fire. It shows Market Street (between about 6th Street
and the Embarcadero) going east to the Ferry Building, by a camera
attached to a cable car. There are numerous automobiles visible, as well
as upscale shops and cafes. People are dressed in their "Sunday Best",
not working clothes, because many had gone to church by the time this
film was shot at around 3:45 pm. Over 3,000 people died on the following
Thursday morning and nearly every building shown in this film was
gutted by the fire. Only a few structures were rebuilt from the original
frames, among them the Flood, Call, and Examiner buildings. The only
reason this film survived is because it was sent to New York to be
developed and was on its way there when the earthquake struck. This is a
new high-resolution version of the film from Europe.
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