This film was shot on April 14, 1906, just four days before the San Francisco earthquake and fire, where the negative were almost lost. It was produced by moving photo photographers the Miles brothers: Harry, Herbert, Earle and Joe. Harry J. Miles manually cranked the Bell & Howell camera that was placed on the front of a tram while filming on Market Street from the 8th, in front of the Miles Studios, to the Ferry building.
A few days later, the Miles brothers were on their way to New York when they heard news about the earthquake. They sent the negative one day before the earthquake to NY and returned to San Francisco to discover that their studios had been destroyed.
The origin of the film was a mystery for many decades, and it was suspected that it had already been recorded in September 1905, after being dated as such by the Library of Congress based on the state of construction of various buildings. However, in 2009 and 2010, film historian David Kiehn, co-founder of Niles Film Museum in Niles, California, dated the film to the spring of 1906 from car registrations and weather records. Kiehn eventually found promotional material from the original release of the film and dated the film until April 14, 1906, and finally gave credit to the filmmakers, the Miles Brothers.
These rare long recordings give a unique look at that time. Some of the people in the film will only have a few days to live after their faces had been exposed on the silver. In 1906 there were only +/- 2000 cars in the city.
4K Film with post-added sound:
Time is the enemy:
Recordings made after the earthquake:
Rare recordings from New Jersey, 1928 with real sound recordings, camera man walks around instead of stuck on a tram or car:
Similar recordings differently in the world:
Rochdale, UK, 1900:
Lytham, UK, May 28, 1903:
Manchester, UK 1901
Titanic, preparation for first trip and farewell, 1912:
France, 1890-1900:
hand colored Pittsburgh, 1928:
Germany, Berlin, 1896: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCr-FsmmO88
The Netherlands, The Hague, 1898: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2DBusHL91w
Interview me elderly people from the 1920's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cGEe2makeM
It is bizarre to think that these people have spoken with people from 1800, if not late 1700.
A few days later, the Miles brothers were on their way to New York when they heard news about the earthquake. They sent the negative one day before the earthquake to NY and returned to San Francisco to discover that their studios had been destroyed.
The origin of the film was a mystery for many decades, and it was suspected that it had already been recorded in September 1905, after being dated as such by the Library of Congress based on the state of construction of various buildings. However, in 2009 and 2010, film historian David Kiehn, co-founder of Niles Film Museum in Niles, California, dated the film to the spring of 1906 from car registrations and weather records. Kiehn eventually found promotional material from the original release of the film and dated the film until April 14, 1906, and finally gave credit to the filmmakers, the Miles Brothers.
These rare long recordings give a unique look at that time. Some of the people in the film will only have a few days to live after their faces had been exposed on the silver. In 1906 there were only +/- 2000 cars in the city.
4K Film with post-added sound:
Time is the enemy:
Recordings made after the earthquake:
Rare recordings from New Jersey, 1928 with real sound recordings, camera man walks around instead of stuck on a tram or car:
Similar recordings differently in the world:
Rochdale, UK, 1900:
Lytham, UK, May 28, 1903:
Manchester, UK 1901
Titanic, preparation for first trip and farewell, 1912:
France, 1890-1900:
hand colored Pittsburgh, 1928:
Germany, Berlin, 1896: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCr-FsmmO88
The Netherlands, The Hague, 1898: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2DBusHL91w
Interview me elderly people from the 1920's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cGEe2makeM
It is bizarre to think that these people have spoken with people from 1800, if not late 1700.
