Skip to comments.
Stunning photo taken from kite that captures devastation from 1906 earthquake in San Francisco
Daily Mail (U.K.) ^
| 12th February 2012
| Nina Golgowski
Posted on 02/12/2012 1:57:18 PM PST by DogByte6RER
A city in ruins: Stunning photo taken from kite that captures devastation from 1906 earthquake in San Francisco
![Photobucket](http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h71/DogByte6RER/article-2099768-11AEFD6C000005DC-186_964x792.jpg)
This rarely seen image of the city of San Fransisco lying in ruins after the devastating earthquake of 1906 was captured by an ingenious photographer using a camera attached kites.
The panoramic shot, which is of outstanding quality considering the basic equipment available, shows the full scale of the disaster which claimed the lives of over 3,000, injured 225,000 and caused $400,000,000 worth of property damage.
Commercial photographer George Lawrence, who used home-made large format cameras, was well known at the time for his wide angle photographs of banqueting groups, national political conventions, and state legislature sessions.
To take aerial shots he had previously gone up in balloons, but after a near fatal accident in 1901, when he fell 200ft and was only saved by telegraph wires broke his fall, he began looking for a safer alternative.
The following year, a Chicago inventor Silas Conyne, patented a kite for flying advertising banners.
Impressed by the kites' stability and lifting power, Lawrence obtained permission to build some for himself. To boost their capabilities even further, Lawrence flew several kites in series which allowed him to hoist his heavy wooden-framed cameras up to 2,000ft high.
After developing a stabilising system he was able to fly as many as seventeen kites in a train, although five to ten were usually enough.
With his great business sense, Lawrence knew there would be huge international demand for the San Francisco pictures and sure enough they earned him well over $15,000 the equivalent today of over $300,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History; Miscellaneous; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: 1906; 19060418; aerialphotography; california; catastrophism; earthquake; godsgravesglyphs; naturaldisaster; photographs; sanfrancisco; sporkweasel
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-62 next last
To: Eye of Unk; Talisker
Sounds like he had a zest for his line of work.
41
posted on
02/12/2012 7:26:55 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: DogByte6RER
that’s some picture, but I guess I just don’t get the devastation part.
To: DogByte6RER
Thanks for posting this .... waaaaay cool.
43
posted on
02/12/2012 7:43:41 PM PST
by
GOPJ
(GAS WAS $1.85 per gallon on the day Obama was Inaugurated! - - freeper Gaffer)
To: Talisker
My grandfather was John Spigno who was the partner with Giannini, who later went on with Bank of Italy and then into Bank of America in SF.
44
posted on
02/12/2012 7:59:15 PM PST
by
Eye of Unk
(Liberals need not reply.)
To: Eye of Unk
My grandfather was John Spigno who was the partner with Giannini, who later went on with Bank of Italy and then into Bank of America in SF. Very impressive.
45
posted on
02/12/2012 8:43:05 PM PST
by
Talisker
(He who commands, must obey.)
To: Roscoe Karns
I think you found proof that Theodore Roosevelt was involved in a plot to destroy the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. You have a photo of a suspicious person carrying unknown materials into the place where the bridge is no longer there.
Teddy Knew!
-PJ
46
posted on
02/12/2012 8:57:24 PM PST
by
Political Junkie Too
(If you can vote for President, then your children can run for President.)
To: DogByte6RER
I always thought it odd that in the 1936 movie San Francisco, a special effect scene was done showing an iconic SF house being blown up for a firebreak. The house survived the 1906 earthquake. It wasn't so lucky in the 89 quake where the same house had to be demolished for real due to damage.
47
posted on
02/12/2012 9:17:04 PM PST
by
Hillarys Gate Cult
(Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
To: Roscoe Karns
48
posted on
02/12/2012 9:21:23 PM PST
by
Defiant
(If there are infinite parallel universes, why Lord, am I living in the one with Obama as President?)
To: Political Junkie Too
49
posted on
02/13/2012 6:20:03 AM PST
by
DogByte6RER
("Loose lips sink ships")
To: Roscoe Karns
50
posted on
02/13/2012 7:00:12 AM PST
by
JRios1968
(I'm guttery and trashy, with a hint of lemon. - Laz)
To: JRios1968
It’s funny none-the-less.
To: Roscoe Karns
52
posted on
02/13/2012 7:06:18 AM PST
by
JRios1968
(I'm guttery and trashy, with a hint of lemon. - Laz)
To: Mr. Lucky; Roscoe Karns
Trust me, I am one of Roscoe’s biggest admirers...and I posted the detour in admiration!
53
posted on
02/13/2012 7:07:32 AM PST
by
JRios1968
(I'm guttery and trashy, with a hint of lemon. - Laz)
To: Roscoe Karns
*guffaw*
I say again: *chortle*
To: Roscoe Karns
LOL...Roscoe, you rock!....almost as much as San Fran did.
To: Roscoe Karns; monkapotamus; All
Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!
56
posted on
02/13/2012 12:26:07 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
(We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
To: Roscoe Karns; monkapotamus; All
Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!
57
posted on
02/13/2012 12:26:27 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
(We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
To: Roscoe Karns; monkapotamus; All
Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!
58
posted on
02/13/2012 12:26:45 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
(We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
To: Roscoe Karns; monkapotamus; All
Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!
59
posted on
02/13/2012 12:27:06 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
(We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
To: Roscoe Karns
Roscoe if you pushing Godzilla on this thread keep it up with Looter guy Godzilla was born into 1940s or early 1950s LOL!
You could blame Godzilla existence on Harry Truman
60
posted on
02/13/2012 12:29:46 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
(We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-62 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson