Among the Ruins: Arnold Genthe’s Photographs of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorm

 STAFF RECOMMENDS “Among the Ruins presents a powerful collection of photographs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The museum acquired and digitally scanned the negatives for this FAMSF publication. The photographs of African American residents of San Francisco, a marginalized and often overlooked community, are of particular interest. A great book on early photography and San Francisco history.” -Grove / Sales Associate   Berlin-born photographer Arnold Genthe (1869–1942) was an established member of San Francisco’s art community when disaster struck on April 18, 1906. Though Genthe lost much of his photographic equipment and most of his negatives in the inferno that swept through the city that day, he borrowed a pocket camera and immediately began to document the destruction, ultimately producing more than 170 views starting within hours of the earthquake and continuing for several weeks. Unlike the many commercial photographers who cashed in on the demand for earthqua