This is an original pre 1906 San Francisco earthquake Photo and Frame
The frame is about 27” wide and 17” tall
The photo appears to be a special ordered photo probably by Francis Smith & Co. As there are feet markers and streets marked on the photo originally, the photo could have been used for city planning.
Francis Smith was a San Francisco and American business pioneer, he was the first person to create and use a double riveted ‘sheet iron' in piping and his company built many of the original pipes used in the building of the Bay Area in the 1900s as well as all over the country. He made a very successful business in iron in San Francisco, California and also became very big in farming orchards and canning operations in San Jose, California.
The photo is about 1900-1905 year original, at the time of the photo this building was the largest and most modern iron foundry if it's kind in the world.
The photo has some slight watermarking up too but is in overall very good condition
The frame is also is a very good condition for its age , over 100 years old , the frame is also an original early 1900 San Francisco, California original wooden frame from (E.B. Courvoisier FrameMaker on 354 Sutter street) the phone number was listed at Red 1327 as shown on the back paper on the frame in the photos.
In the photos I included an old article on Francis Smith & Co. Foundry and about how they were prisoners in their industry and American engineering.
This last bit here is a brief obituary on Francis Smith for any potential buyers own personal information. The Framemakers themselves are also very well known and had a close relationship with Disney Studios and helped bring their artwork into the established and respected art market.
After the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco Sutter street where the framemaker was located was completely destroyed, I'm not sure if the Iron works building survived the earthquake or not but it would nice to research.
“FRANCIS SMITH. Among the important manufactories of the west is the one owned and conducted by Francis Smith, who is not only a pioneer of the state, but is as well the pioneer in his line of work, which is the manufacture of hydraulic and mining pipe, water and oil tanks, well pipe, etc. His factory, which is located in San Francisco, is the largest of its kind in the world, and is finely equipped in a modern and up-to-date manner, its products being shipped to all parts of the United States, as well as all countries of South America, South Africa and Australia, and he has also shipped considerably to Alaska. A native of Ohio, Mr. Smith was born in Middleport, Meigs county, November 29, 1831, a son of John Smith
Francis Smith was reared on the paternal farm along the banks of the Ohio river, receiving his education in the primitive schools of that time. Following the example of the pioneer lads, he left school and at the age of fifteen years became apprenticed to learn the tinsmith's trade at Pomeroy, Ohio. He remained three years, and at the close of his apprenticeship engaged at his trade until 1852. In that year, on his birthday, he left for California in company with nineteen other young men, who in the whirlpool of western life have dropped out of the knowledge of Mr. Smith. They journeyed first to New York City, crossing the Allegheny mountains in cars pulled up by stationary engines and cable. They took passage for Aspinwall on the steamer Georgia, numbered among three thousand passengers, and so crowded was the ship that two were compelled to occupy each bunk. Off Cape Hatteras a comrade announced to Mr. Smith that the man with him was dead, and as Mr. Smith was then suffering the horrors of mal de mer he remarked that he would that he were also. The horrors of this voyage lasted for ten days, when they reached Chagres. From there they were taken to Gorgona in boats drawn by naked negroes, whence they were compelled to walk to Panama, as no animals could be obtained. The second day out Mr. Smith became exhausted, as he was of a delicate constitution, and but for the friendship of a young giant, L. E. Stevens by name (who died five years ago), he might have suffered considerable trouble and annoyance. This friend forced a native to give up his mule and allow Mr. Smith to ride. On their arrival in Panama they were obliged to wait ten days for their steamer, the Panama, to convey them to San Francisco, where they arrived after another voyage of horror occasioned by the Panama fever breaking out on board on the 11th of February, 1853. Mr. Smith then took passage on the steamer Wilson G. Hunt to Sacramento, his fare being $5 for passage on the fore deck. On arriving in that city he went to Hangtown (now Placerville), a distance of three miles, where he le plus cher had friends living in a cabin. The next morning one of their number was ill and after an examination by a physician the disease was pronounced small-pox. Mr. Smith, however, felt no alarm and remained in Placerville, where he worked at his trade six months. In 1854 he went to Marysville and continued his trade for a short time, later locating in Camptonville, Yuba county, where he built a tinshop which he conducted for fifteen months. Like many other pioneers, he slept, cooked and ate in his cabin and endured many hardships, but at the conclusion of his work there he found that he had earned over $l00 per month. Locating in San Juan in 1855, he conducted a tinshop and hardware store for a time, and, seeing the need of something to take the place of the miner's canvas hose, he began the manufacture of sheet iron pipe, out of which small beginning has grown his present extensive and lucrative business. He removed to San Francisco in 1869, and two years later began the manufacture of his iron pipe in that city, commencing on a small scale and doing all the work himself. The undertaking was an entirely new and original one and met with a ready success. He was first located at No. 130 Beal street, where he remained until 1899, a period of twenty-eight years, when he removed to No. 83 Fremont street, where he has since been located. He built a foundry at the corner of Eighth and Townsend streets, the dimensions of which were 200 x 275 feet, the largest and most modern establishment of its kind in the world.”
The frame will ship professionally packed and insured for the full purchase amount, must be signed for on delivery, no refunds as this is a very old antique photo and frame, I'm looking to ship this item one time and one time only to the new owner.
