The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

This online exhibit features a sampling of the resources that the National Archives - Pacific Region has pertaining to this historic natural disaster. It retells the events through primary sources such as meeting minutes, telegrams, and case files. With the exception of the front page of the website, it is composed almost entirely of scanned images of these items.

Selection Decisions

On the Introduction page of the website it states that all of the items featured in the exhibit are "from the files created or received by Federal agencies in or around San Francisco at the time of the disaster." Though they do not speak to why they chose to display these particular items on the website, my guess would be to achieve as well-rounded and succinct a sampling as possible in an effort to advertise the variety of material contained in their archives.

Metadata

With each thumbnail is listed the title of the item, the name and location of the creating entity, and the date. There is also a brief statement regarding what the item details and how it contributes to the broader story of the disaster. In addition, the physical location of the item within the National Archives is listed in the event that one should want to request it for further research.

Object Characteristics

The exhibit is set up to be more or less chronological, with items detailing the disaster being followed by those pertaining to the immediate aftermath, and finally the rebuilding period that ensued in the weeks thereafter. Each thumbnail leads to a larger size image of the scanned item. However, there is no zoom feature, which would be helpful since some of the materials are not in the best shape and can be hard to decipher (for example, the linked image above). One is able to order copies of the records. However, they encourage one to do so in person, as it is easier to do so with exact citations.

Intended Audience

The audience is the general public who may be interested in the history of San Francisco, specifically the 1906 disaster, or who are interested in what the National Archives has to offer on the subject. Accompanying each larger image is a link leading to further resources pertaining not only to San Francisco earthquake, but the National Archives in general.