Stunning photo taken from kite that captures devastation from 1906 earthquake in San Francisco

Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | 12th February 2012 | Nina Golgowski

[DogByte6RER]

A city in ruins: Stunning photo taken from kite that captures devastation from 1906 earthquake in San Francisco

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.

[SunkenCiv]

Sounds like he had a zest for his line of work.

[the invisib1e hand]

that’s some picture, but I guess I just don’t get the devastation part.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for posting this .... waaaaay cool.

[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.

[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.

Very impressive.

[Political Junkie Too]

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

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

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.

[Defiant]

I salute you, sir!

[DogByte6RER]

A 1906 Troofer!

[JRios1968]

[Mr. Lucky]

It’s funny none-the-less.

[JRios1968]

[JRios1968]

Trust me, I am one of Roscoe’s biggest admirers...and I posted the detour in admiration!

[martin_fierro]

*guffaw*

I say again: *chortle*

[BulletBobCo]

LOL...Roscoe, you rock!....almost as much as San Fran did.

[SevenofNine]

Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!

[SevenofNine]

Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!

[SevenofNine]

Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!

[SevenofNine]

Damn it Monk you got see it I didn’t know have certain FR favorite was in 1906 quake LOL!

[SevenofNine]

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