Call Number:

C1678

Repository:

Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division

Extent:

• 0.2 linear feet
• 1 box

Language:

English

Date:

1906

Form:

photographs -- 20th century

Abstract:

Consists of a collection of photographs documenting the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, California, taken by various photographers including Willard Elmer Worden, Charles C. Pierce, Frederick Arthur Webster, A. Blumberg, Shaw and Shaw, and others.

Consists of a collection of 49 photographs made during the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire, which spread rapidly throughout the city on April 18, 1906, causing massive destruction and displacement. There are photographs taken by a number of California-based photographers, including Willard Elmer Worden, Charles C. Pierce, Frederick Arthur Webster, A. Blumberg, Shaw and Shaw, and others.

The photographs depict scenes of collapsed, off-kilter, and partially intact buildings, with one image capturing the "New Post Office" built of stone and still standing, surrounded by the remains of less modern infrastructure. There are also images of warped and cracked streets and roadways showing deep, gaping crevices; a few scenes (primarily by Willard Elmer Worden) showing the city as it burned; and panoramic birds-eye views highlighting the extensive devastation caused by the earthquake and fire. Several photographs in the collection also document the "Tent Cities" that formed at Golden Gate Park to house those who had been displaced. Following the earthquake, photographers rushed to the streets in an effort to document the events, and these photographs quickly became desirable mementos and collectibles for those who lived through them. It is unclear who assembled this collection of photographs, though they may be one such collector. Most photographs are captioned but uncredited.