San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906

April 18, 1906

San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906

This photograph looks down Sacramento Street in the direct aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, in which roughly 3,000 people died and around 80% of the city was destroyed. This is one of the most famous pictures of the destruction of the earthquake and one of Genthe’s best-known photographs, April 18, 1906.