On April 17, 1906, San Francisco was a dense city bustling with people, and thriving businesses. On April 18, it was in ruins, the victim of a terrifying earthquake and dreadful fire. Over 170 vintage, photographs, some never published before delve into the first earthquake ever photographed. Images include photographs of various buildings and neighborhoods in the city before the earthquake and the fire, photographs of the fire as it burns through Front and Market Streets, the ruins and those left to cope with them in the aftermath and the efforts to rebuild the city. The text inside the book explores the tragic decisions made by the city's leaders that contributed to the horrifying devestation. Historians, collectors of vintage photographs, and anyone interested in California history will surely want this book.