A Trip Down Market Street [San Francisco], 1906

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the film "A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire," which captures a moment in San Francisco just before the 1906 earthquake and fire. Participants explore the historical context of the film, its production details, and the chaotic street scene depicted in it.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the film was originally thought to be filmed in September 1905, but recent research indicates it was actually shot in April 1906, just before the disaster.
  • Another participant comments on the chaotic nature of the street scene, suggesting that the rules of the road were not strictly followed.
  • A different participant points out that the number of automobiles seen in the film is misleading, as only two or three were hired to create a lively atmosphere around the cable car.
  • One participant expresses concern for a cyclist in the film, speculating about the potential hazards posed by the streetcar tracks.
  • Another participant shares their appreciation for the film and expresses relief at not having lived in that chaotic environment.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share an interest in the film and its historical context, but there are varying interpretations of the street scene's chaos and the number of vehicles present. The discussion remains open-ended without a clear consensus on these observations.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the historical context and the film's production details are not fully explored, and there may be limitations in the interpretations of the street scene dynamics.

jtbell
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The TV program "60 Minutes" tonight featured a story about the film A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire which was shot from the front of a cable car traveling down Market Street in San Francisco. It was originally thought to have been filmed in September 1905, but recent research revealed that it was actually made in April 1906, the week before the great earthquake and fire which destroyed most of the buildings that are seen in the film, and probably killed some of the people in it. The studio that produced the film was also destroyed, but the film escaped because it was shipped to New York by train the night before the earthquake struck.

The film has been digitally restored, and the clips that were shown on "60 Minutes" look a lot better than the older versions that you can download from the link. You can even read the license plate numbers on the cars that circle around the cable car, one clue which led to the correct date of filming (by way of the cars' registration dates).
 
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Busy, busy place, and utter chaos! It appears the rules of the road back then were drive on the right side of the road, unless by chance you want to drive on the left side of the road.
 
The apparently huge number (for 1906) of automobiles weaving around is actually just two or three. They were hired by the film producer to drive in circles around the cable car to liven up the scene a bit.
 
Very cool!

I thought for sure the guy on the bike was going to get his tire stuck in the rut of the track.
 
That was very cool, thanks for sharing it. I'm glad I did not live there.
 

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