Earthquake/Fire: St. Mary's Bread Line



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The postcards on this page show a 1906 refugee bread line at Saint Mary's (Van Ness/O'Farrell). Left: Unknown publisher. written but not addressed/mailed, looking NE from the front steps of St. Mary's. Right: American News, a much better rendering of the same image. The Fairmont Hotel, still under construction when the quake struck, is just right of center at the horizon, but everything else east of Van Ness is gone. The message written on the card at left describes the writer's personal experience. It must date from soon after the quake:

The people in the front of the picture are part of a line three blocks long of people waiting for a can of corn beef, a few beans & a loaf of bread given by the Government. Look hard and you will find us in line waiting for a loaf of bread. Last week we stood for 2 blocks before getting one. Will be with you soon.



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Left: Rieder-Cardinell 213, postmarked SSF 4/06/1907, looking NW. Right: Behrendt 204; color version of the same image, printed in Germany. The back suggests this card was probably made for German distribution.



Steve's SF postcard pages: