Progressive Era: 1890–1920s: Effects of 1906 Earthquake
Click image to zoom in.Or view larger version. Untitled. 1906. Photographer unknown. Gelatin silver print. Collection of Oakland Museum of California.
This photograph shows a building in San Francisco, California engulfed in flames after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. In 1906, 90 percent of San Francisco's buildings were constructed with wood frames and were packed together on narrow streets. These highly combustible buildings were not required to have sprinkler systems.