#PE98
Ca. 1933
19 loose real photo postcards (one duplicate), all ca. 13.5 x 8 cm (5 ¼ x 3 in). 17 photos captioned in negative; one photo with period manuscript caption on recto; 11 photos with [later] manuscript pencil and ink captions on verso. Overall a very good collection of historically interesting photos.
An interesting collection of photographs showing the aftermath of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake in Long Beach and Compton, California. The earthquake took place on 10 March 1933 with a magnitude of 6.4. Unfavourable geological conditions and poorly constructed buildings led to an estimated $40 million (1933) in property damage and up to 120 deaths. Notably, the most severely damaged buildings were schools, and the earthquake highlighted the need for earthquake-resistant construction in California.
12 postcards (not including duplicates) are of Long Beach. They show debris spilling out of First Presbyterian Church, exposed hotel rooms at Lime and E. Anaheim, sailors assisting with recovery on W. Broadway, children sleeping outside (“so scared, so sleepy, 5: Oc. in the morning”), and destroyed storefronts (“Willard,” “Lasalle Hotel,” “Togo Chop Suey,” “A.B.C. Cleaners & Dyers,” etc.).
6 postcards are of Compton. They show recovery efforts (including a derrick being used “to recover dead”), debris on Main Street, and the “ruins of Ray’s Famous Dancing Hall,” “Fargo Coffee & Tea Co.,” and a drug store.
Overall, a lively collection of photographs showing the aftermath of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake.
