Take a ride on a San Francisco able car in 1906
By jwfarrimond
@jwfarrimond (4473)
May 7, 2010 3:13am CST
Takes you back 104 years and puts you down right on that San Francisco cable car!
Not a traffic light in sight. 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 amount of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Absolutely amazing! The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there. Great historical film worth watching.
This film, 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 quake and shipped by train to NY for processing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k
3 responses
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
7 May 10
That was amazing! Thanks for sharing it! It was fun to see the costumes, and the newsboys hamming it up. Also interesting to see drivers and pedestrians cutting right in front of the cable car, at one point I almost expected to see a collision. I forwarded a copy if the video to almost everyone on my list. Thanks!
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
7 May 10
I did notice a few pedestrians having to jump out from in front of a car! 
I never noticed the newsboys though, I'll have to watch it again!
I never noticed the newsboys though, I'll have to watch it again! 1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
7 May 10
It's a pretty amazing bit of film, it's just lile you are sitting there on that cablecar. There's obviously no traffic rules - everyone just goes wherever they like.
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
7 May 10
Its almost as if you are there yourself riding that cable car! Thats what facinates me about it.
