The Friday Link for 4/20/18

A bit of an unusual video for you tonight, as this, historically, is quite spectacular.

As I've mentioned here, I'm just finishing up a personal project where I took my family's 16mm films from the 1920's through the 1950's, got them cleaned up, did a historical hunt to get the who, where, and when of each film, transcribed my notes and turned the film over to the Minnesota Historical Society for preservation.  The historical importance of the films made them something the Historical Society thought was valuable.

When I was getting the film cleaned and transferred to digital, I worked with the fantastic crew at Saving Tape on W. 36th in South Minneapolis.  When I was talking to them about age and film, they said my films were old, but there are even older home movies.  Prior to that, you get some local news outlets making news reels from the 1910's and 1920's, recording images on a slightly smaller version of a movie camera.  Prior to that, it was pretty much big bulky movie cameras making film.  Most films prior to 1910 are deteriorating fast, and so anything from back then is valuable, and important.

One hundred and twelve years ago on Wednesday, an earthquake stuck San Francisco.  Not only did the earthquake wipe out a large portion of the city, but the subsequent fires which burned for days wiped out many of the remaining buildings.  A total of 80% of San Francisco was lost, with more than 3000 people dead.

San Francisco was a city on the rise in 1906.  Already the 9th largest city in the US within 60 years of California entering the union, it was by far the largest city west of the rockies.  We have photos of the city before the earthquake, but film of what life was like in the bustling new town, prior to the earthquake, doesn't exists too much.

The film below is remarkable.  They attached a movie camera to a street car and recorded the ride down Market Street.  It's 8 minutes, but it's all gold; showing a busy, hectic environment.  What's amazing is they initially thought this film came from 1905, but historical research has shown this actually was likely recorded in the days before the earthquake in 1906.  You're seeing a city which has no idea what's coming it's way.  Many of the buildings you see were wiped out.  Many of the people in this film died only a few days later.  It's amazing and sad at the same time.

Enjoy the fashion.  Hold your breath for a few of the people trying to cross this street.  I find the abundance of cars amazing, but considering the amount of wealth in San Francisco at the time, and the immediate impact automobiles had in American cities, seeing them flying all over the place, in a world where lanes, traffic lights and crosswalks didn't exist, is fun.

 

And staying with historical films, tomorrow marks the death of Prince.  This is his version of Nothing Compares to U.  The accompanying film is remarkable too.  I miss him so much.



Have a great weekend everyone.