|
“Enthralling, viscerally taking the reader back to the early 20th century.”
—Book News, May 2006
“Stereoscopic photos are two photos mounted side-by-side and looked at using a viewer that makes the scenes look very lifelike and three-dimensional. Burkhart, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and belongs to the National Stereoscopic Association, has compiled a rich history around stereoscopic photos (3-D viewing glasses are included) of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire and the homeless life and rebuilding that were the aftermath. Viewing the scenes through the glasses is enthralling, viscerally taking the reader back to the early 20th century. The photos are also reproduced in larger color plates. The volume is oversize: 10.25x13".”
“Looking at pictures of ruins shouldn’t be this much fun, but this collection of photographs of the big quake is wonderfully entertaining.”
—Michael S. Gant, Metro Silicon Valley, April 19, 2006
“Looking at pictures of ruins shouldn’t be this much fun, but this
collection of photographs of the big quake is wonderfully entertaining. With
the help of the cardboard viewer that comes with the book, you can
study a wide collection of commercial stereographs (dual images of a scene taken from slightly different angles designed to duplicate binocular vision), which were extremely popular and heavily marketed at the turn of the last century. Position the viewer just right, and the image "pops" into a kind of 3-D vividness. The figures and places depicted aren't exactly rounded, but they do appear on different planes for fore-, middle- and background, which gives them an odd separation, like cardboard cutouts moving on tracks at different
distances in an accordion paper theater. Each stereocard is accompanied
by an enlargement of one frame for closer study, but the viewer is
really the only way to go. Two photos depict the devastation in the valley:
one of the crumbling walls of St. Agnews Asylum in Santa Clara, where more than 100 people perished, and the First Presbyterian Church in San Jose, whose whole brick front slid away into a heap of rubble. In an odd bit of sightseeing, a mother and father stand with two little girls inbonnets staring at the remains of the church. This large-format volume also contains a history of stereography and reproductions of many maps, newspapers, postcards and other relics of the great shaker.”
“A lavish scrapbook of prints, posters and vintage stereopticon images.”
—Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times Book Review, April 16, 2006
“The 1906 quake took place at the moment in history when photography had become a popular pastime, thus making possible several picture books among the new crop. "Earthquake Days: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire in 3-D," by David Burkhart (Faultline Books: 220 pp., $44.95), for example, is a lavish scrapbook of prints, posters and vintage stereopticon images seen through a 3-D viewer that is included.”
“Brings the reality of the events of 1906 to life.”
—Sara Peyton, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, April 16, 2006
“For those who would rather learn about historical events by looking through a picture book, Bay Area historian David Burkhart published ‘Earthquake Days.’ Inside, the reproductions of more than 100 stereo photographs (a 3-D viewer is included) along with old newspapers, maps and lithographs bring the reality of the events of 1906 to life. The book shows how the Call, Chronicle and Examiner newspapers cooperated, printing a special edition newspaper on the Oakland Tribune presses and distributing it free of charge on April 19. With its Katrina-like echoes one headline chills. ‘Entire City of San Francisco in Danger of Being Annihilated: Panic-Stricken People Flee.’”
“More than 100 stereoscopic images of the city, people, and infrastructure before, during and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire...”
—Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, April 2006
...have been compiled with numerous primary source documents to provide a personalized account of the most devastating event in our nation’s history. Sir Charles Wheatstone first coined the term stereoscope in the 1830s; a historical account of its development is included. Many maps are paired with the stereographs and regular imagery to demonstrate the widespread nature of damages sustained. Researchers and the public alike will appreciate the artistry and narrative contained within. A stereoscopic viewer and an index of images are also included.
“A truly unforgettable visual presentation.”
—Midwest Book Review, March 2006
“Earthquake Days: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire in 3-D is an impressive photographic spectacle about the historic San Francisco Earthquake and is quite like no other treatment of the subject. The vintage black-and-white photographs...appear in 3-D with the aid of the accompanying viewer! The photographs are quite vivid to the naked eye as well, and the accompanying text by California-born historian David Burkhart recounts the historical debacle captured in the tragic images. In addition to the photographs of the city's devastation, Earthquake Days includes vintage newspaper clippings, sketches, cartoons, and the like concerning the disaster. A truly unforgettable visual presentation of a sad event in American history.”
“Handsome and engrossing, with more than a dash of novelty.”
—Nora Sohnen, East Bay Express, February 22, 2006
“A deluge of new books, timed to coincide with exhibitions and other events, has been unleashed for the centenary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906....Do these new works add anything to the history of this particular cataclysm? Will they serve to remind us that the next Big One is a threat that will never, ever subside until it happens — no matter how much we pretend otherwise?
“A handful of these works, each of which has its own agenda, does indeed illuminate. Without a doubt the niftiest of the bunch, David Burkhart’s Earthquake Days (Faultline, $44.95) is a hefty coffee-table tome that comes with its own 3-D viewer for looking at the hundred-plus stereoscopic photographs inside. (But be warned: Don’t rush too eagerly through the images; your head and stomach will thank you for taking frequent refreshing trips back to 2-D.) A brief history of stereophotography gives way to a wealth of images and illustrations, punctuated by vignettes and quotes by those who witnessed the destruction, or had something to say about it.”
“Richly detailed. Dramatic illustrations/maps. A better and bigger selection of 1906 earthquake views than even many collectors have ever seen. ”
—John Dennis, Stereo World, January/February 2006
“It would be hard to imagine April 18, 2006 (the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake) passing without the publication of at least one “Coffee-table” book illustrating
the disaster. What’s really amazing is that the first one to
appear looks back at the event through stereoviews!
“Earthquake Days by NSA member David Burkhart includes over 100
views of the city before, during and after the earthquake and fire
that destroyed 508 blocks and left 200,000 homeless. The richly
detailed text includes historical background and personal accounts
from average citizens, politicians, writers and journalists, as well as
that of Enrico Caruso. Texts from view backs contribute significantly—with factual corrections inserted by the author where needed.
Read full review in PDF format
“An eye-catching coffee-table chronicle of the quake. Remarkable stereo pictures”
—Yale Alumni Magazine, January/February 2006
“At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the earth under San Francisco shook hard for about a minute. Historian Burkhart, an ardent collector of period stereoscopic images, has put together an eye-catching coffee-table chronicle of the quake and the subsequent fire that brought disaster to the city. The book comes with 3-D glasses for viewing the remarkable stereo pictures.”
“An absorbing and attractive coffee-table book”
—Edwin B. Burgess, Library Journal, January 15, 2006
“Burkhart, a Bay Area historian, professional musician, and brewer, has amassed more than 100 stereoscopic photographs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and combined them with largely contemporary primary sources to produce an absorbing and attractive coffee-table book. The photographs are generally displayed two ways: in large format as an eye-viewable image and in a smaller stereoscopic version, which is to be viewed through a stereoscopic viewer, included in a pocket at the back of the book. The resulting 3-D images bring out an astonishing amount of detail, mightily improving on both the depth and the clarity of the flat image. An introductory chapter describes the development of stereoscopy and the roles of the major promoters of the form. For straight history, readers might prefer Simon Winchester's A Crack in the Edge of the World, but this is an excellent visual companion. Librarians should note, however, that the viewer is likely to go missing. Recommended as a supplement to collections on California history or the history of stereoscopic photography.”
“Very timely”
—Rainbo Reviews, January 2006
“I thought I had seen all of the books that tell the story of the famous earthquake that shook San Francisco in 1906. I was wrong. Here is a new look at that tragic event that is filled with pictures that are large and clear. It is also filled with 3-D pictures that you can view through the rather nice set of glasses that are included.
“The story is told by the author in chilling detail but it is the pictures that cast the spell. This is a very unique collection of more than 100 original stereo photographs. The stereopticon pictures in the book come to life and bring this disaster much closer to those of us who live here or anywhere.
“San Francisco is about to reach the 100th anniversary of this tragedy so this book is very timely.”
“Must See 3-D”
—3-D Review, January 2006
“This richly-illustrated 220-page book is “Must See 3-DTM” for the 3-D collector and anyone interested in the history of the earthquake. The book includes a pair of 3-D glasses. Printed on heavyweight glossy paper, the book weighs nearly five pounds.
“There are more than stereoviews of the earthquake and fire in the book. Stereoviews range from images showing the early history of stereoviews to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which was built on the landfill area created from the debris of the fire. The beginning chapters introduce readers to the history of the stereoscope and contain several California related 3-D images. The 3-D images include views of the magnificent City Hall before and the tragic ruins of the building after the fire, taken from nearly the same location. One of the most dramatic 3-D photos is the Harbor Emergency Hospital with an old-time horse drawn fire engine sitting in frontof it while the city burns with billowing black smoke filling the sky in the distance.
“The quality and clarity of the 3-D images presented in the book is outstanding. Along with the numerous 3-D views are 2-D enlargements of several scenes, giving readers close-up versions to see more details. Several stereoviews featured in the book were printed from the original glass-plate negative from the Keystone-Mast Collection.”
“Eclectic Titles Stand Out in Year-End Roundup”
—Kathleen Grant Geib, Oakland Tribune, December 22, 2005
“Eclectic titles by Bay Area authors sparkle in a holiday season of Local Literati.... San Bruno’s David Burkhart publishes a 1906 earthquake book complete with a three-dimensional viewer, a clever addition to a book that features a multitude of wonderful, historic photos. The beautiful layout is a bonus.”
back to top
|
