Abstract

This collection includes postcards that feature black and white images of ruins from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The devastating earthquake occurred on April 18, 1906, and fires proceeded for the next several days. The impact of the earthquake affected surrounding cities as well, with San Francisco’s destruction being the most severe. Destroying the city and taking many lives, this event remains one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States.

Abstract The San Francisco Earthquake Photograph Collection is made up of 28 photographs of the structural damage caused by the earthquake and fire that hit San Francisco and the Northern California coast on April 18, 1906. Many of the pictures are of San Francisco’s landmark buildings and sites such as City Hall, the Palace Hotel, and Union Square. Also included are images of relief efforts and refugee camps that were constructed in the aftermath of the disaster. Views of important street...