Scenes of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

At 5:12 AM on April 18 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco. The temblor and subsequent fires destroyed 80% of the city and killed 3,000 people.
This archival footage was digitized by the California Audiovisual Preservation Project (CAVPP).

[@davidlotti5407]

My Grandparents were in this earthquake, my grandfather was a French trained chef arriving in San Francisco in1903 he earned enough money to send for his fiancé who was In Lugano Switzerland she had only been in America around a year when the quake hit . They lost everything , became refugees an left on a refugee train to Minneapolis where my grandfather had a cousin. The settled in North Minneapolis on Fremont Ave .My grandfather became a renowned chef in the Midwest! They had four children 3 sons an a daughter

[@CylinderBroadcasts]

What was his name I wanna look him up.

[@davidlotti5407]

@@CylinderBroadcasts My Grandfather’s name was Joseph Lotti my Grandmother’s name was Paulmira Malifanti most likely were from Sonvico just north of Lugano Switzerland Canton of Ticino . Their Children were Thomas , Elvisio Albert (my Father) and Esther.

[@CylinderBroadcasts]

@@davidlotti5407 Thanks

[@CylinderBroadcasts]

I found a record from 1940 that matches up with your description.

[@Insomniac_tv]

Imagine being there and not realizing someone in 100 years will watch you walk throw history

[@spactick]

My grand father lived a couple a streets off Market St. in 1906 when the earthquake hit. He was sleeping in bed when the shaking and noise woke him up. He had no idea what was going on. He looked up at he ceiling laying there on his back and the whole ceiling came crashing down on him. He pointed to a scar on his forehead that was caused by plaster and debris and smiled that "this is my souvenir from the 06 quake" I think he was kinda proud of it. It was a shared experience that nearly all looked back nostalgically. Kinda like going thru war together.

[@Fearless_ON_Fortnite]

Did he survive?

[@spactick]

@@Fearless_ON_Fortnite ya he did. The reason that he brought up the story about the earthquake was because I told him that I thought that San Francis was a really beautiful city ( I was 5 years old) and he said " ya it is, but it's nothing like the city that was here before the 06' quake & fire. The cobble stone streets. The gas street lights. The ornate victorian architecture etc; made people refer to it as the Paris of the United States. My grandfather lived into the mid 1950's and was killed by a drunk driver. The police didn't do anything about it because he was drunk as well at the time of the accident

[@chuyhighman6927]

WoW 1906 Earthquake 👀 d(((👁️--👁️)))b ZOMBIE JAIME

[@chrisproffit1566]

​@@Fearless_ON_Fortnite How would he retell the story if he died in the earthquake LOL

[@amberstreetfilms]

So much has changed in such a short period of time. Incredible and tragic.

[@joehill8014]

If 80% of the buildings were destroyed, were did the people get such fine clothes for their promenade through the city ruins?

[@tula1433]

That was just clothes back then. They didn’t have jeans and sweats like we do or pajama pants haha

[@mr.deedsgoestotown6155]

Thank you for posting this. It's really a fascinating look at this tragic story.

[@TheVerbalVolley]

My heart bleeds with pain every time I see a video of the 1906 SF Earthquake.

[@californianbrat8421]

crazy to see what it was like in the early 1900s

[@thegreenphantom4304]

Very interesting to see, I have a original 1906 book on the disaster and this film proves what the book says about the devastation sad yet amazing.

[@KatieandHelena]

I'm reading a book taking place before and after the earthquake, so I was interested in finding out more. (The book is called "Outrun the Moon" for those wondering)

[@tubbytuba21]

I am reading a novel by the former state librarian of California and a lover of San Francisco… Kevin Starr… It’s called “lands end “. Great writing (historical fiction).

[@larryfisher5796]

My Granddad was there when the earth quake hit he stayed for three months after and helped clean up .He then made his way to Iowa where he meant my Grandma . I remember as a kid him telling us about it .

[@ericpieper1704]

Find it crazy that after all that people still dressed up

[@MireVale]

The people in nice clothes walking around like nothing is wrong unnerves me

[@chrisproffit1566]

People! That's just what they wore back then, they didn't have t-shirts, shorts and flippers, jesus

[@angelacaraveo917]

Today I was in class and my teach wanted us to watch it so I'm watching it at home so sad

[@empressnorma1416]

Thanks for this video. It's like the B-side to the famous Market St. tracking film. EN

[@mariimichelle]

My paternal great grandparents were in this earthquake! My great grandfather was a San Francisco police officer 1889-1911 Officer Charles F. Castor #314 👮‍♂️💙 Five years after this earthquake, my great grandfather and his colleague and partner Officer Thomas Finnelly were both shot and killed in the line of duty at the Ferry building by a fugitive suspect that was wanted for murder in his home country Veley, Greece. This story is in San Francisco archives as well as on the Officer Down Memorial website 💙🖤 💙🖤 💔

[@FJBAFYFVFH]

City planner- Hey.... let’s build this city on a fault line. Engineer- GREAT IDEA!

[@wolfgang548]

It gets better. Before the city was rebuilt, the rubble was buried beneath it. And San Fran will get hit again eventually. And when it does, it doesn't have a very strong foundation. That city will be heavily damaged.

[@Old_World_Tartaria]

Tartarian Genocide : The Great RESET of San Francisco kzbin.info/www/bejne/hojFhYCZm9SEitU

[@wolfgang548]

@The Power Level Scaler The city having a weak foundation is what was said in a documentary I watched over 10 years ago. And the quake in 1989 wasn't even the San Fran quake yet it did substantial damage.

[@ww2remembered983]

Earthquake faults weren't discovered until 1895, by a UC Berkeley faculty member. S. F. and surrounding cities and towns were all around 45+ years old by then and booming...and nobody planned development around the many faults. The San Andreas fault lies outside of S. F....fyi. So a big one can happen anytime here.

[@UmmYeahOk]

As mentioned, fault lines weren’t really a known thing back then. That’s why you end up with things like the Northridge quake in 1994. What’s really dumb is people who willingly settle and even farm in desert areas. I get that there needs to be something out there, but places like Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and Phoenix should have never become the major cities that they are today. They stand as statements of mankind’s stubbornness.

[@yesindd]

Does anyone know the title of the piece of accompanying piano music?

[@typicalfiend4492]

Danm SF used to have a red dead redemption 2 vibe horses and men in suits

[@jenniferwhite9133]

The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco was one of the worse national disasters ever recorded by human

[@OGNoah25]

And the deadliest earthquake in American History

[@davidlafleche1142]

Even worse: The 1900 Galveston Hurricane.

[@032319581]

Amazing how everyone is dressed up, going about their business. Wonder how long after, these films were taken.

[@8188jlpc]

I understand they put on layers of the clothes they could gather and then put their best Sunday clothes over those, thats why it appears everyone was "dressed up"

[@MPWEST83]

It is mind-boggling to think that this city survived at all. It just goes to show you how resilient humans can be after facing a tragic natural disaster. I bet if the people who lived there back then could see San Francisco now, they would cry. I don't think San Francisco will make it through the tough times it is facing now. But only time will tell. Watching this footage trips me out. I get to see San Francisco and the people within it from 120 or so years ago... it's almost like I'm seeing a ghost..

[@chrisproffit1566]

I agree, it's sad to see and hear what that area has come to these days. Either a homeless refuge or tech workers making bank

[@443red]

Almost looks like 1945 Berlin

[@kakesfig]

it is so sad I can’t even believe it

[@cult5452]

It took me a lot of research but I have a original 8x10 photo 1 day before the fire of the clock tower and surrounding businesses with raised initial's of the person who took the picture. if anyone could give me any info I would like to give it back to the family to the person who took the picture.

[@tubbytuba21]

Was anyone able to read the banner on the street car towards the end of the film… At about 5:12? I tried with a magnifier, but so far I can’t tell.

[@einarreitz3571]

I saw the banner too. It is saying something about the Beatles coming to town but I can't make out the dates.

[@chrisproffit1566]

The Beatles coming to town????? In 1906????? What drug are you on and where can I get that stuff lol

[@loatfield]

16mm did not exist until 1923. This footage may have been recovered from a 16mm reduction print, but most likely originally shot on 35mm, no?

[@edgarcoronel5368]

You trying to flex aren’t you

[@cowsongs]

@@edgarcoronel5368 Seeing as how anybody can look up the creation date of 16mm film online (and it is 1923), and see that it was marketed as a cheaper alternative to 35mm... and since anybody could look up online where the original 1906 San Fran film is stored to find out that yes, indeed, it was 35mm, I'd say yes, somebody is "flexing". ;-)

[@deborahkish5411]

My Great Grandfather was killed in this earth quake.

[@hunhun23]

WHEN I LIVED IN ALASKA IN THE 1970S WE HAD EARTHQUAKE DRILLS IN SCHOOL. WE WEERE TOLD TO GET UNDER THE HEAVIEST OBJECT IN THE HOUSE. IN OUR HOUSE IT WAS THE POOL TABLE

[@maraluciaduclosduclos7496]

Uma enorme tragédia para a época e para Califórnia. Uma grande tristeza inrsquecida que deixa até hoje uma cicatriz do passado. Que isso nunca mais aconteça.

[@sylviabishop1586]

Made me cry very sad to see the utter devastation.

[@joannparker1977]

Me too!

[@n-r1-s-7_9_6]

😣

[@davidlafleche1142]

Check out Alaska, 1964.

[@n-r1-s-7_9_6]

@@davidlafleche1142 ok

[@aileenvazquez3658]

Hold up remake scenes in color please was the weather cloudy or toxic or sunlight❤❤😢😢😢😢😢

[@111CREWGO69ZEHZ]

I 👗 like this every day. Is this Dresden?

[@Poisson4147]

IT SAYS SAN FRANCISCO. Old line - reading is fundamental.

[@dianalee3059]

I live in Los Angeles and have experienced 3 major earthquakes. There is nothing more terrifying than the earth moving beneath your feet. While there was major damage in them, fallen freeway overpasses etc, there was nothing like this. I can’t imagine how horrifying it was for the people there.

[@lesleymaner2851]

Struggling to get food and shelter and probably wondering when the next earthquake will happen . Those poor people and animals

[@FJB267]

Did many people die I’ve heard mixed views.

[@alisoneccleston9580]

Yes, the actual number was not used at the time so investors wouldn't be scared away so only 600 people died. In the last ten years or so several people and organizations are looking for the names of the people who died.. I think the number is around 3000 now.

[@FJB267]

@@alisoneccleston9580 wow that’s so crazy, but sad obviously. Thank you so much for informing me.

[@davidlafleche1142]

A genealogist has been doing research and confirmed at least 8,000 deaths. She thinks the death toll was as high as 16,000. That would make it worse than the Galveston Hurricane, with 12,000 deaths. (September 8, 1900)

[@manuelvertrees8913]

Why not showing the Fault 😮

[@haunter8661]

San Francisco was sure less hilly back then.

[@timmartin7664]

Who is on board with Martin Scorcese directing a movie about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. With state of the art CGI to recreat the actual earthquake. Maybe have Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeremy Renner lending their talent, to the American tragedy and disaster

[@maxcalfornia]

Why this terrible sound ?

[@ribhom1110]

Destroyed 80% of homes

[@DadaPoopoo]

So everyone just happened to be wearing their finest suits and fancy dresses and feather hats during this? Nobody got caught in their pajamas? Wtf.

[@mooncat9213]

So strange. Were they all still in shock and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy?

[@ww2remembered983]

San Franciscans were always known to wear their best when going downtown for work, shopping, or play. Famous for the old department stores with the latest European fashions. I remember all the men wearing nice suits and hats and women in nice dresses and all when I was a kid in the 60's. It's been a stylish threads and fashion town since way back then. Even Levi's was founded and is still headquartered here. That style sure went around the world and back!

[@lockergr]

That's what I was thinking. I guess they all managed to find clothing. All their clothing was already prim and proper.

[@windowsvistasuxalot]

Those people living in those brick buildings died. This is the rich touring a disaster area days after to take a glimpse

[@spactick]

the earthquake itself did relatively little damage, mostly to the masonry/brick buildings downtown. The fire is what really did the damage and that lasted several days. So the people living in The City had plenty of time to put on their finest tweeds as the city burned

[@geroeg3431]

My question is how did they record the video in 1906

[@markdudley5656]

Not a video, but a film. Hand-cranked movie cameras were around in 1906.

[@davidlafleche1142]

In 1900, the city of Galveston was destroyed by a hurricane. The city government didn't want any photos of the wreckage to be published. But Thomas Edison went there and took his still-new motion picture camera with him. He took films of Galveston and got away with it, because nobody there knew what a movie camera was.

[@Poisson4147]

The movie camera (NOT "video") was invented in 1888. By the mid-1890s short films were being exhibited in theaters, so having movie cams in 1906 isn't at all unusual. As the saying goes, Google is your friend.

[@mariafernanda5971]

Que estranho saber que todas essas pessoas que aparecem nesse vídeo, sem exceção, já estão todas mortas.

[@ljre3397]

All dressed up with no place to go.

[@azamatg3334]

Высокоэтажки и лошади не совсем сочетаются

[@davidtate166]

Let us not for get 🙏😔 R.ip P

[@SirLavaLamp]

I think this is gonna happen again soon

[@SirLavaLamp]

@@davidlafleche1142 Thank you for this! You are right! big one is coming, best you can do is be aware and stay safe :)

[@kala08072009]

👍

[@boblovell5789]

Seeing the Historical Society took the trouble to produce this video,I find it surprising they don't add some comment. The comments re. no live footage and no masks could be inviting replies to be ridiculed!

[@davidlafleche1142]

The soundtrack wasn't invented until 1927. The Historical Society wanted to preserve the "raw" film and let the images speak for themselves.

[@switch_g1itch57]

Who else had this for online class

[@DanksterPaws]

AJ Moran Nah I came here from Pravsburg

[@user-up3fl4tk2z]

Me

[@user-up3fl4tk2z]

Me

[@user-up3fl4tk2z]

@@DanksterPaws me

[@michellesutton-carter9045]

I had this for online class

[@hectorroca9523]

Look like the City got Bomb 💣

[@StevenSmith-pt8rz]

Looks like Berlin,Germany after the surrender. Hitlers idea of urban renewal.

[@tallbassguy]

Why is everyone wearing suits and the women are all wearing their best dress? Is that a normal thing? Didn't they have work clothes? Where are they going? All the disasters I've lived thru (several major hurricanes), folks help each other. No one ever wears a suit.

[@StevenSmith-pt8rz]

They did back then.

[@marvinjones2589]

@@StevenSmith-pt8rz 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tallbassguy]

@@bruja7574 haha....oh....so A CBS TV show that ran from 1951-1957 about a couple in New York is evidence of how actual people dressed in San Francisco in 1906? Hahaha...that's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. Yes I watched reruns in the 60s and 70s as a kid.

[@TravelsWithSophia]

Some of those folks are STILL homeless today.. tragic ghosts reliving their tragic lives

[@redcrewmatetheloserdetecti1314]

I seen so many aftermath videos but WHERES THE DURING FOOTAGE!!!!!!!!!

[@lockergr]

Mate, it was 1906. So I'm sure impromptu footage is rather hard to come by, if it exists at all! This was big! They were rational and worried about life and limb.

[@sneadh1]

There are many still photos of the damage and fire.

[@almarodriguez3612]

Netflix. Winshelter house

[@markdudley5656]

it was a tragic day, but even in those tough times, the wealthy still had means. For example, at 2:23, you can see a 1905 Franklin touring car; quite luxurious at that time. Others were not so lucky.

[@caroltenge5147]

nobody wearing masks??!

[@alazygachatuber9202]

It was 1906, so Covid-19 didn't happen at that time.

[@Qrayon]

Back then, people were normal.

[@Marcin18x]

its before spanish flu event ;)

[@DadaPoopoo]

@@alazygachatuber9202 what is covid-19?

[@alazygachatuber9202]

@@DadaPoopoo Covid-19 is a virus that was originally from Wuhan, China. The virus got so bad it started a pandemic.

[@bigpoppa800]

now 2023, the next one is due............anytime now!!!!

[@user-dg6ht6ph8j]

Look how well dressed everyone is compared to all the slobs walking around today

[@Plutonian-t5f]

What people are u looking at today

[@Dr.CarmenCastellanaPhd]

Even through the worst of time and humanity, the women would "dressed up in fashion" .

[@cobbahr6182]

gg

[@user-tv7ht3kh1b]

To my knowledge the quake was after 1910

[@Poisson4147]

You could have saved yourself some time by taking 15 seconds to use a search engine: April 18, 1906.

[@collinmorgan9737]

MOTHER NATURE GIVES NO WARNING FOR THIS TYPE OF NATURAL DISASTER…KEEP IT UP CALIFORNIA. THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT IS THERE FOR A REASON AND AN EVEN GREATER PURPOSE. 🙏🏻ing FOR YOUR LEADERS.

[@Plutonian-t5f]

When you say mother nature who are u actually referring to?

[@user-bk7qb7qz9o]

Странное землетрясение люди идут по своим делам не спеша никого не откапывают по-моему это просто снос зданий неудобной цивилизации

[@_vicsat]

Это похоже на заселение городов после катастрофы чудовищных масштабов.. Ведь сегодня много видео и фото появилось,как вначале 20 века раскапывали города по всему миру из-под глины..А Рим и в 20-30 х годах.. А масштаб этой библейской термоядерной климатической катастрофы 666 лета от сотворения мира можно оценить на "лунной карте земли" у нас над головой в полнолунье.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aai4aZKgiZtkm6c Из которой следует, что наш круг земной намного больше, чем нам показывают на эмблеме ООН, как и континентов на нём, и что это именно мы сегодня живём в библейском ноевом ковчеге(части большего), который создали из того, что уцелело-солнца и луны ,и где собрали с безжизненных территорий "всякой твари по паре".А судя по Пражским астрономическим часам выходит, что об этом прекрасно знали и послепотопные люди вплоть до 1917 года, когда человечество внезапно потеряло память и способность думать головой ,как и о грядущем апокалипсисе-конце света и тепла. А если учесть, что "лунная карта земли" это зеркальное отражение (рентгеновский снимок) нашего круга земного на диске луны, когда "земля была безвидна и пуста,и тьма над бездной, и дух божий (месяц, луна) летал над водой" и появилась после катастрофы 666 лета от с.м.,то это и есть искомое и исконное сказочное "тридевятое царство- государство" (999), символом которого является Держава или Яблоко, "при этом золотой шар с крестом наверху ", библейский "запретный плод ",из-за которого человечество изгнали из рая земного ,где "постоянно было лето и день и не было времени ","Яблоко раздора",за власть над которым второе столетие идёт мировая война , "краеугольный(философский)камень"- понятие ,обозначающее основу и начало для всего сущего на земле и самого Мира-Здания.. Прошлое и будущее неразрывно связаны между собой невидимой путеводной нитью: хочешь узнать будущее-полистай учебник истории человечества,хочешь понять прошлое- посмотри что происходит сегодня в мире .А нынешние события в мире, как под копирку, повторяют события 100-летней давности с таким же полицейским, правовым, медицинским беспределом и непосредственно связаны с библейской термоядерной климатической катастрофой 666 лета от сотворения мира..

[@allenturner36]

92 salters surprise it's me it's me oh lampado scrollers is your gay friend a fungi mushrooms Bermuda middle Rd lindos Pearman houses

[@kevinunderdue53]

It like a nuclear bomb hit the city

[@_vicsat]

Скорей это похоже на библейскую термоядерную климатическую катастрофу 666 лета от сотворения мира..когда "небо упало на землю и разверглась бездна ада под ногами ", описанная во всех мировых религиях и мифологиях как "падение утренней зари на землю ".Масштаб и последствия этой катастрофы можно оценить на "лунной карте земли" у нас над головой в полнолунье. Из которой следует,что наш круг земной намного больше ,чем нам показывают на эмблеме ООН ,как и континентов на нём, и что это именно мы сегодня живём в библейском ноевом ковчеге (части большего),где собрали с безжизненных территорий "всякой твари по паре". kzbin.info/www/bejne/aai4aZKgiZtkm6c