For the past 40 years, Bob Bragman has spent most of his Sunday mornings combing through flea markets looking for historical photos and other vintage treasures. Recently Bragman, a contributor at SFGate.com, came across an unassuming Ziploc bag full of old black-and-white images.
I picked it up and saw that the first one was an '06 quake photo. The vendor said that they were just cutouts from a magazine. She was asking $5.00 for them. I saw that, at the very least, the first one was a real photo. I made the purchase. When Bragman got home, he opened the bag and discovered that it contained a packet of original photos from the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake and fire, not magazine clippings. Just three had writing on the back with identifying information, such as the view below from Bush and Taylor streets, looking toward the Mission. "Thousands of photos were taken in the aftermath," writes Bragman. "I'm never sure if I've found a depiction that's never been seen before. It's often a same street or structure, but from a different angle."
Check out Bragman's full photoset at SFGate, and if you recognize any of the locations shown in the pictures, do drop him a line.
· Bob Bragman [SFGate]
· SF Rumbled and Burned 108 Years Ago—New Photos Uncovered [SFGate]
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