SFO - 104 Year Old 35MM Film Clip

[RKP5637]

This is pretty interesting if you've not seen it...

"For those of you who live in California and other history buffs.

This is a fascinating archival film. Almost like traveling back in time to San Francisco.

This film was "lost" for many years. It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car. The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there. How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses? Watch the scampering as Joe Public dodges autos, horses, cable cars and bicycles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

This film, originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!).. It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing."

I'm sorry, I do not have the source for the description of the film.

[byronius]

1. Holy Amazing Post, Batman.

That was great. And to Air's Femme!

[lazarus]

2. very nice

and I also have a new CD to buy now. Thanks!

[Auggie]

3. Notice how most the cars are right-hand drive?

Incredible video

[tridim]

4. Manipulating those streets is like playing Frogger.

So freaking cool. Only thing I love more than old film footage is old color photographs.

[yodermon]

6. old color photographs?

Hope you've seen this then: (Prokudin Gorsky, Russia, 1910s)

http://quazen.com/arts/photography/the-incredible-century-old-color-photography-of-prokudin-gorsky/

[tridim]

7. Yep, that's the set I was thinking of when I wrote that.

[starroute]

5. Here's another old one -- Australia's first film, from 1896

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article7064954.ece

[drm604]

11. LOL

You would hope that your country's first film wouldn't be a guy with a hand painted on his ass, wouldn't you?

[RKP5637]

12. LOL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[onpatrol98]

8. Awesome

What an awesome film? Everyone was wear suits and long dresses. Not to mention, there were apparently no road rules. Cars and horses on the streets at the same time. This was just awesome. I'm so slow, I'm just realizing that it must have been a massive camera. Because people were stopping to stare at it.

[RKP5637]

9. I did the same. The first time I saw it I was wondering why everyone was

stopping and staring. A couple of them looked almost close enough to have almost been hit. Then it occurred to me too it must have been a huge camera on some type of platform attached to the front of the cable car. I have to admit I was watching it awhile too before I realized why they were probably staring. Glad everyone liked it... it's such an amazing film.

[drm604]

10. Fascinating.

I could watch that over and over. Wow.

[mackerel]

13. That is absolutely fantastic!

The cop walking the beat. The one car had the drivers side on the right.

[Auggie]

14. Makes you wonder what the take will be of us 104 years from now...

If anyone cares.

Or if anyone is able to care.

[RKP5637]

15. Excellent question, I often ponder the same... I think many today are

on autopilot not realizing we're probably headed off a cliff... I hope not, but the world is far short of working together for the betterment of "all" mankind.

[Xithras]

18. Think about this...104 years from now people will be reading your Facebook page.

That data will continue to exist in a database somewhere, and I guarantee that some archaeological or genealogical service will make it available for people to browse. We're stuck with movies, but they'll be doing everything from watching our home movies to reading our Twitter feeds and Facebook profiles.

What will they think of us?

[dana_b]

16. so cool!

I work in the City and see that view all he time. Things are so different yet the same. The pedestrians are almost as crazy in taking their lives in their hands. The Ferry building is shinier now but it's cool to see this old one.

[Xithras]

17. Only a few months later, virtually every building there was destroyed.

It is estimated today that the movie was filmed in January or February 1906. The movie was also shown at movie houses back east right after the quake with the claim that it was shot only days before the quake, but that claim was probably fraudulent (unless your definition of "only days" is above 60).

On April 18, 1906 the Great Quake struck SF. Other than the Ferry building at the end, only three of four of the buildings in the movie survived the quake and fire. Those that did were damaged, and were pulled down. By the beginning of July, every single building in that movie, with the sole exception of the Ferry Building, was gone.

Knowing that puts the film into a slightly different perspective. It's an awesome look at the past, but it's also a glimpse into the eve of a horrendous tragedy. One that every one of the people in that movie experienced, and none could have known was coming.

[Ernesto]

19. Only now I understand how the Dodgers got their name!

Brooklyn "Trolley Dodgers"

[Tikki]

20. Not so many women and I don't recall seeing but one young girl..

Looked like Business Center and men in groups seem to be standing
closer to each other..a tighter personal space then, maybe.

San Francisco would be rolling in the dough if that many people jaywalked today.


Tikki

[RexDart]

21. Post quake footage down Market St.

I've seen the pre quake footage last year, so I don't know how lost it was. Still cool though.

From archive.org


The print is flipped right to left, but there are so few landmarks, you won't notice.

[K8-EEE]

22. Loved this, thanks for posting nt