Air - La Femme D'Argent (Translation Unknown)

An Old Film Clip From San Fransico

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The 104-year-old 35-mm film of San Francisco was the very first 35mm film ever taken. The shot was filmed via a camera mounted on the front of a cable car. It was originally thought to have been taken in 1905, but it was later learned that the "silent movie" was actually shot only four days before the Great San Francisco Earthquake of April 18, 1906. The film was shipped to New York for processing. For many years, the film was "lost". After it was "found", David Kiehn from the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot based on historical records. According to New York trade papers, the film which showed wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicated the time of year and the actual weather conditions, The historical records also included the date(s) when the cars were registered, who owned the cars, and when the plates were issued.

The number of automobiles must have been "staggering" by 1906 standards. And the traffic in San Francisco in the early 1900s as seen on the film was amusing [if not amazing]; with cable cars, horse-drawn carriages, private vehicles, and pedestrians weaving whichever way on the streets, one has to wonder about traffic accidents. Also, one must imagine the number of street cleaners ["poop scoopers"] employed to pick up after the horses---talk about going green! The film showed the clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero/the Fisherman's Wharf.