This film, taken while on a trolly, was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn, with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, figured out exactly when it was shot from New York trade papers announcing the film, showing the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall, shadows indicating time of year and actual weather conditions of historical record, even when the cars were registered, even knowing who owned them and when the plates were issued! It was filmed only four days before the quake and shipped by train to NY for processing.
Now we know why we have painted lines, traffic lights, etc. Notice the long strides of the people walking; pedestrians and traffic go all directions. The streetcar we are on never stops for passengers. We can see why the streets were wide, the cars and wagons are driven from the right hand side! Also notice how few women were in this footage.
Robin Barr Buzz 