Rare : 104 Year Old Film Clip - San Francisco four days before the great April 18, 1906 earthquake.

This is a fascinating movie. Been around a time or two. A camera was
mounted on the front of a street car in San Francisco 104 years ago (1906).
Perhaps the oldest “home movie” that you will ever see! Look at the hats the
ladies were wearing and the long dresses. Some of the cars had the steering
wheels on the right side. I wonder when they standardized on the left? Sure
were still a lot of horse drawn vehicles in use. Mass transit looked like
the way to get around. Looks like everybody had the right of way.

Watch the beginning carefully. At the 33 second mark and immediately after
an oncoming trolley clears the screen, a well dressed policeman walks across
the street from left to right. Notice his right hand that he’s carrying a
truncheon (26 inch police baton) and although he appears walking his beat,
he looks ready to use it. Imagine the police of today walking down the
street carrying a 26 inch club in their hand…???

This film was “lost” for many years. It was the first 35mm film ever. It was
taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car. The number of
automobiles is staggering for 1906. The clock tower at the end of Market
Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there.

How many “street cleaning” people were employed to pick up after the horses?
Talk about going green!

This film was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. >From
New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from
recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and
conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even
knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!). It was filmed only
four days before the Great California Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and
shipped by train to NY for processing. *
 *Note that drivers and pedestrians haven’t improved much in 104 years.
Watch for the many almost collisions,  jay walkers, chicken players and
generally unconscious drivers.