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"The heart of Chinatown, San Francisco." After the earthquake and fire of 1906. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
... just not sure what. A clue?
[DELIGHT. Part of a stove or heater? - Dave]

Shattered brick, twisted steel, and in the middle of the pile an unbroken vase; wonder what it was made of.
[Seems to be an earthenware pot. - Dave]

I don't think I ever seen a picture of so many loosened. fallen or fractured bricks in my life. One of my grandfather's sisters was living in SF then, and apparently survived. Her husband worked for Otis Elevator and I would guess that this tragedy created a lot of new business for them.
The price of used bricks just took a tumble!
Racist city fathers tried to take advantage of the destruction to force the San Francisco Chinese to relocate to far-off corners of the city, or even out of the city. The Chinese community rebuilt as quickly as they could in their old neighborhood.
A lonesome figure walking with a purpose. It is hard to tell what was damaged by the quake or what was taken down by the fire. Of course the charred poles and timber are a dead giveaway.
I see determination in the midst of the rubble.
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