![Atop Empire State- in construction; Chrysler Bldg & [Daily] News in middle foreground. (1931)](http://cdn1.retronaut.co/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Atop-Empire-State-in-construction-Chrysler-Bldg-Daily-News-in-middle-foreground.-1931--199x123.jpg "Balancing on the Empire State, 1920s")
In 1878 the British photographer, Eadweard Muybridge set up a battery of 13 cameras on the tower of the unfinished Mark Hopkins Mansion, each one aimed at a different part of the City.
The first image is zoomable. See the icons in the bottom right-hand corner.
Below: A detail from the third image
‘Crocker wanted to buy all of the block on which his mansion would stand, but one man, an undertaker named Yung, would not sell. In spite Crocker built a 40 foot wall enclosing three sides of Yung’s house. When Yung died, Crocker bought the property and the wall came down. Today such a scheme would not be allowed, but Crocker had the power in San Francisco to get away with it.’
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Thank you to America Hurrah!
Magnificent! Thank you so much for posting what a find. #spitefence
What a horrible illustration of the cruelty between neighbors. Though illegal today, I have lived and experienced mire ‘spite fences’ than I care to remember. This is among the most horrifying images I’ve found on this site.
Does anyone have the URL for the original image? TIA.
Try this, Stephen
Yeah, today, Crocker would get the city to steal the property from Yung on the basis of Kelo, using the argument that he would pay more taxes on it than Yung. And the government of SanFran would fall all over themselves to do it as quickly as they could.
The abuses possible today are much worse than they were then. Governments have far, far more power over the use and ownership of private property than ever before.
I’m struck by the lack of humanity in the entire panorama. Has anyone spotted any people yet?
Darlene, I agree, it looks really eerie. You can blame the long exposure times in 1870s photography. In the five minutes or so necessary, any people on the streets would be moving and their image wouldn’t last. I see a few horse and buggies which must have been parked.