Friday, September 30, 2011

Trip down Market Street, 1906




I first saw this video on a 60 Minutes segment (totally worth watching) and I was blown away. This short film was shot in San Francisco in 1906. The cameraman sat on the front of a streetcar traveling down Market Street, hand-cranking the camera and just letting it run as he headed toward the Ferry Building. Life goes on around him. It is remarkable to see all the people on the road (the dresses, the suits, the hats!) as well as the buildings and other forms of transportation on the street. Eerily, the video was shot just a few days before the great earthquake, when over 80% of the city was destroyed and thousands of its residents killed.

4 comments:

No Carnations said...

It seems like total chaos! People are just walking and driving wherever. I wonder how many pedestrians were hurt during these times? Thanks for the video!

Anneke said...

that's amazing! i was on a vacation in san francisco a few weeks ago and we were just amazed by the city.. i love videos like this.

Paris Hotel Boutique said...

This is my absolute favorite footage ever! Love it!

steph.kelley said...

What chaos! Before the invention of the crosswalk, apparently — let alone "lanes" for traffic of all sorts. That is wild. Thanks for sharing.

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