San Francisco, 1906
January 20, 2010 by Mrs. Mecomber
Filed under driving, history
This video is of a film taken in San Francisco in 1906, four days before the terrible earthquake that destroyed this part of the city. Apparently, no one knew exactly where the film was originally taken, but a group of historians, studying the film, discovered that this is Market Street in San Francisco, California. I found it amazing to watch. The traffic is totally chaotic! When were our modern highways invented, anyway?
Rachel on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 12:11 pm
What an amazing video! It’s almost hypnotic to watch, and there were a few moments when I caught my breath thinking someone was about to get hurt! If it really was four days before the earthquake, that even adds a whole other perspective to it. Remarkable stuff!
turnip on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 12:33 pm
Great video. Pictures never convey city life the way that video did. The first modern traffic light in America didn’t come into existance until 1914.
Mrs. Mecomber on Fri, 22nd Jan 2010 10:37 pm
Rachel– I felt similarly; and that weird music made the video feel even more hypnotic! I was waiting to see if a kid’s shoe was going to get caught or something.
Turnip– 1914, that early! Maybe the creator of the traffic light was inspired by visiting San Francisco…
Thanks for your comments.