Historic Market Street Video Shot A Week Before 1906 Quake
Most of our readers have probably already watched the amazing historic film of Market Street in the early 1900s, but you probably didn't realize the video was shot in April, 1906, merely a week before the 1906 earthquake and fires destroyed most of the buildings that lined the street in the film. 60 Minutes aired an excellent story about the video on Sunday, which you can watch above. One point worth noting: Some of those cars driving in and out of the picture were staged by the filmmakers, likely as an example of the technological innovation represented by those earlier vehicles. How times change.
By
Matthew Roth
11:26 AM PDT on October 19, 2010
Most of our readers have probably already watched the amazing historic film of Market Street in the early 1900s, but you probably didn’t realize the video was shot in April, 1906, merely a week before the 1906 earthquake and fires destroyed most of the buildings that lined the street in the film. 60 Minutes aired an excellent story about the video on Sunday, which you can watch above. One point worth noting: Some of those cars driving in and out of the picture were staged by the filmmakers, likely as an example of the technological innovation represented by those earlier vehicles. How times change.
More from Streetsblog San Francisco
Weekend Roundup: BART Ridership Still Going Up, More Speed Cameras Needed…
...and tides take out Woodstock
October 30, 2026
Friday Video: The Three Ingredients to a Great Trick-or-Treating Neighborhood
...and how your neighborhood can use good planning and community engagement to get more walkable long past spooky season.
October 29, 2026
Video: Hey Muni, Why No Crossing Gates?
It's the perennial question: in a supposedly "transit first" city, why does SFMTA still make rail vehicles full of people subservient to cars?
October 29, 2026
Choudri Announces Resignation at California High-Speed Rail Authority
Streetsblog offers a timeline of Choudri's mostly-positive but uneven tenure
October 29, 2026