San Francisco by Sam Graves

The Streets of San Francisco, Fred Lyon

Ant Farm, Poole House Remodel. San Francisco. California, 1974.

Panoramic View of Nearly Total Devastation of San Francisco, 5/1/1906:

“This view of the San Francisco ruins shows many square blocks completely leveled. The photograph was taken on May 1, 1906, almost a month after the disaster. Much of the debris had already been hauled away leaving only empty ash-blackened blocks. Rebuilding of small buildings had begun, 5/1/1906.”

Series: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, 1982 - 2007. Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921 - 2008

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake struck 110 years ago on the morning of April 18, 1906. With an estimated magnitude of 7.9, it was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, with the earthquake and subsequent fires claiming more than 3,000 lives, and leaving half the city’s population homeless.

The National Archives Catalog also holds over 150 digitized photos related to the San Francisco Earthquake from multiple federal agencies, departments and congressional committees.

More on the San Francisco Earthquake from the National Archives:

• 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire 
  Primary documents about the earthquake aftermath, from the National Archives at San Francisco.
  
• San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, 
  From the Center for Legislative Archives (on Tumblr at @congressarchives)
• When an American City Is Destroyed, via Prologue Magazine
  How the U.S. military became the “first responders” and took charge when an earthquake struck San Francisco a century ago.

Night and day, Carl-Antonyn Dufault

Ground Zero German VHS (James T. Flocker, 1973)

A ‘35 Oldsmobile and the beginnings of the Golden Gate Bridge.
(B&W original via Shorpy)

Alcatraz (San Francisco, 1981)

North Beach

San Francisco, 1950 (via Michael Gorth)