A Trip Down Market Street is a 13-minute
actuality film recorded by placing a movie camera on the front of a
cable car as it traveled down
San Francisco’s
Market Street in the spring of 1906. A virtual time capsule from over 100 years ago, the film shows many details of daily life in a major American city, including the transportation, fashions and architecture of the era. The film begins at 8th Street and continues eastward to the cable car turntable, at
The Embarcadero, in front of the
Ferry Building. Landmarks passed include the
Call Building and the
Palace Hotel. It was produced by the four Miles Brothers: Harry, Herbert, Earle and Joe. Harry J. Miles cranked the
Bell & Howell camera during the filming. The film is notable for capturing San Francisco just before
the city's devastating earthquake and fire.Film:
Miles Brothers