tankt

I recently joined a Flickr group called San FranGone: The City as it Was, and every time I check in on it I am rewarded with these incredible glimpses of life way back then. In the past few days a Flickrino by the name of bobster1985 began posting a series of clips from an archive of public domain films. Here are a few of my favorite.

From 1941, this one has an extended view of the people and vehicles on Market Street and finishes on Nob Hill looking down California Street:

Also from 1941, this one appears to have been taken from Nob Hill as it shows the Financial District before it was modernized, some say Manhattanized, in the 60s and 70s:

Going further back in time to the early 1930s, this is a view of life on the streets, featuring a glimpse of the Ferry Building, Chinatown, and docks (back when they were a vital part of the city):

Lastly, here’s an utterly amazing view of life at the turn of the 20th Century, before and after the quake of 1906. Market Street looks positively docile compared to back then:

Admittedly, I have virtually no concept or awareness of history in the formal sense. I do however, have a fondness for cities, and a longing to understand their pasts and a desire to participate in their present. These movies are endlessly fascinating to that end, as they show a life every bit as chaotic then as it is now.

It’s that energy that draws to me to cities, the feeling of being in an urban wilderness where anything can and will happen, and I am fortunate to be able to experience it each and every day in San Francisco. That said, those images of Market Street after the 1906 earthquake are a vivid reminder of how fragile everything is, and how quickly it can all change in a heartbeat.

I don’t know that I will live here forever, but I do love living here now, and I am eternally grateful for the chance to be a part of its past, present, and future.

Related posts

• The sky in San Francisco in JulyWhile Abby is warm in the LA sun, or would be if she weren't locked inside for marathon meetings, I...
• The scene outside (and well before) the Home Run Derby in San FranciscoLook at this scene: They were out there three (!!!) hours before the Home Run Derby: That's Barry taking batting...
• July 29, 2007. iPhone. San Francisco. Without a doubt, this is the most awe inspiring thing I have ever held in my hand. And it...
• Or, just go to the home page.