Looking Down Sacramento Street, San Francisco, April 18, 1906 facts for kids
The photograph Looking Down Sacramento Street, San Francisco, April 18, 1906 is a famous black and white picture. It was taken by a photographer named Arnold Genthe in San Francisco on the morning of April 18, 1906. This was right after a huge earthquake hit the city. The photo shows the damage from the quake and the start of a massive fire.
Capturing History: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
This photo, often called "San Francisco, April 18th, 1906," is one of the most well-known images from the disaster. It captures a view looking down Sacramento Street from Nob Hill in San Francisco. The picture shows huge clouds of smoke getting closer. Buildings have fallen apart because of the earthquake. People are standing or sitting in the street, looking shocked as the fire comes closer.
Arnold Genthe's Story of the Photo
Arnold Genthe was a well-known photographer in San Francisco. When the earthquake hit, his cameras and photo studio were destroyed. But he knew he had to capture what was happening.
He quickly went to a camera shop owned by his friend, George Kahn. George told him to take any camera he wanted because his shop was going to burn anyway. Genthe picked a good small camera, a 3A Kodak Special. He filled his pockets with film and started taking pictures.
What the Photo Shows
Genthe believed this particular photo would be remembered for a long time. It shows the results of the earthquake, the beginning of the fire, and how people reacted.
On the right side of the picture, a house has lost its front wall, which collapsed into the street. The people who lived there are sitting calmly on chairs. They are watching the fire get closer. Groups of people are standing in the street, not moving, just staring at the smoke. As the fire crept closer, they would simply move up one block.
Genthe found it hard to believe the scene himself. He said it looked like a movie scene directed by "the Lord himself." This photo truly shows the shock and calm that some people felt during the disaster.
