Finding Aid to the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake Collection
1989-1990
SFH 455
Finding aid prepared by Katherine Ets-Hokin
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
December 7, 2016
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Title: Collection on the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
Date (inclusive): 1989-1990
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 455
Physical Description:
6 cartons, 1 pamphlet box. Includes one audio tape.
(6.25 Cubic Feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: The collection includes personal accounts of Bay Area residents during and after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, along with
original and photocopied ephemera. It also includes newspaper articles from the days and months following the earthquake.
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Collection on the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (SFH 455), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco
Public Library.
Provenance
The collection was amassed by the San Francisco History Center between 1989 and 1990.
Related Materials
Researchers are encouraged to see also the San Francisco History Center's Subject and Biographical Files and to check the
catalog holdings of the San Francisco Public Library for related materials.
Conservation Note
During processing, part of the collection was re-foldered and re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes. Some original folders
remain. Duplicate materials were removed when possible.
Administrative History
While serving as the City Archivist for the San Francisco Public Library at the time of the 1989 earthquake, Gladys Hansen
called for the public to donate their personal accounts to what she called the “1989 Earthquake Project”. Residents submitted
their personal accounts along with newspaper clippings, flyers, and various other materials. Library staff and volunteers
also contributed to the collection. At the time of the project Hansen had written a book about the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
titled "Who perished: a list of persons who died as a result of the great earthquake and fire in San Francisco on April 18,
1906" which is often referred to in the collection.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes personal accounts of Bay Area residents during and after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Accounts
are from the perspective of both children and adults and are generally unpublished.
Personal accounts were submitted individually or as a class project by schools. Accounts submitted by schools include the
name of the student as well as the school, teacher and grade level. Individual accounts are filed alphabetically by last name.
Accounts submitted by class group are filed separately by school name. Accounts may be hand written, printed from computers
files, or photocopies.
The collection includes original ephemera and photocopies from the earthquake, newspaper articles from the days and months
following the earthquake, and resource materials relating to earthquake preparedness, relief and response.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in five series: Series 1: Personal Accounts; Series 2: School Project - Personal Accounts; Series
3: Subject Files; Series 4: Newspaper Clippings; Series 5: Loma Prieta Earthquake Resource Materials
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Loma Prieta Earthquake, Calif., 1989.
Earthquakes -- California, Northern.
Series 1
Personal Accounts
1989-1990
Physical Description:
2 Cubic Feet
Arrangement
Personal accounts are arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
This series contains the personal accounts of bay area residents following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Gladys Hansen
and staff campaigned (through television and print addvertisements) for the general public to submit their stories to the
San Francisco History Center. Accounts include narratives from the greater bay area, including Santa Cruz.
Series 2
Classroom Project Personal Accounts
1989-1990
Physical Description:
1 Cubic Feet
Arrangement
The series is arranged alphabetically by school name.
Scope and Contents
Student's personal accounts are described by classroom, class level and school name. Students range from kindergarten to college.
Essays appear to be collected directly from the school or possibly through the mayor's essay competition.
box 3, folder 1
A.P. Giannini Middle School
box 3, folder 2
Alemany Community College Center
box 3, folder 3
Anthony Chabot Elementary School
box 3, folder 4
Ben Franklin Middle School
box 3, folder 9
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School
box 3, folder 12
Country Club Elementary School
box 3, folder 13
Doeleger Center Creative Writing Class
box 3, folder 18-19
George Washington High School
box 3, folder 21
Herbert Hoover Middle School
box 3, folder 23
Horace Mann Academic Middle School
box 3, folder 24-25
Immaculate Conception Academy
box 3, folder 27
International Studies Academy
box 3, folder 28-29
J Eugene McAteer High School
box 3, folder 30
James Denman Middle School
box 3, folder 31
Jefferson Elementary School
box 3, folder 32
Lick-Wilmerding High School
box 3, folder 37
Martin Luther King School
box 3, folder 40
Noe Valley Nursery School
box 3, folder 41
Noriega Children's Center
box 3, folder 42
Palo Alto Senior High School
box 3, folder 44
Phillip Burton High School
box 3, folder 51
Raoul Wallenberg High School
box 3, folder 58
Saint Thomas the Apostle School
box 3, folder 61
San Francisco State University
box 3, folder 71-73
William R. De Avila School
box 3, folder 75
Woodrow Wilson High School
Series 3
Subject Files
1989-1990
Physical Description:
1 Cubic Feet
box 4, folder 1
1989 Earthquake Project Outreach
1989
box 4, folder 2
Association of Bay Area Governments
box 4, folder 7
California Academy of Sciences
box 4, folder 8
Clean Water Program: Earthquake Stories of Personnel
box 4, folder 11
Department of the Army, Presidio of San Francisco
box 4, folder 13
Earthquake Preparedness, Governor's Office of Emergency Preparedness. Beat the Quake!
box 4, folder 14
Earthquake Relief Resources
box 4, folder 16
F.E.M.A. / California Office Emergency Services
box 4, folder 17
Feminist Bookstore News Publication
box 4, folder 18
Fire Department, Berkeley & Albany
box 4, folder 19
Fire Department, San Francisco
box 4, folder 30
Office Emergency Services
box 4, folder 32
Post Earthquake Response, Businesses
box 4, folder 34
Reports. Earthquake & Hazardous Substances
box 4, folder 35
Reports. Earthquake Emergency Preparedness & Response
box 4, folder 36
Reports. Earthquake Performance of the San Francisco Water Supply
box 4, folder 37
Reports. Emergency Operations Board
box 4, folder 38
Reports. Incident Report San Francisco Sheriff's Department
box 4, folder 39
Reports. List of Damaged Buildings
box 4, folder 40
Reports. Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 17, 1989
box 4, folder 41
Reports. Loma Prieta in Print
box 4, folder 42
Reports. Morbitity and Mortality Weekly Report Earthquake Associated Deaths
box 4, folder 43
Reports. October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
box 4, folder 44
Reports. Media Coverage of the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake
box 4, folder 45
Reports. Memo to Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium
box 4, folder 46
Reports. Police, Oakland. Bureau of Field Operations
box 4, folder 47
Reports. Post Quake Condition Inspection Report Form, Office of Historic Preservation
Contents
Buildings Listed: Hamms Brewery (465 Folsom). St. Rose Academy (2507 Pine). Williams Building (693 Mission). 757 Jackson.
1475 Folsom. 415 Geary. 917 Kearny. 152 Church. 167 Bluxome. 235 Front. 848 Stockton. McLaren Lodge (Stanyan at Fell). Women's
Building (3543 18th Street) Shotwell Street Houses (100 Block Shotwell). SF Public Library (200 Larkin). Old Federal Building
(55 United Nations Plaza). City Hall.
Old Customs Building (555 Battery) Belli Buiding (722 Montgomery). Spreckles Temple of Music. Agriculture Building (Embarcadero).
Post Office (7th and Market). Saint Dominic Church(Bush Street).
box 4, folder 48
Reports. San Francisco Fire Department. Basic Operating Procedures
box 4, folder 49
Reports. San Francisco Police
box 4, folder 50
Reports. San Francisco State University
box 4, folder 51
Reports. United States Geological Survey
box 4, folder 53
Salvation Army, Earthquake Services and updates
box 4, folder 54
San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau San Francisco News
box 4, folder 55
San Francisco Public Library
box 4, folder 56
San Francisco Public Library, Branches
box 4, folder 57
San Francisco Public Library, Main
box 4, folder 60
United States Department of Agriculture
box 4, folder 61
Water Pollution Control Federation
box 4, folder 64
"15 Seconds in October" (Audio Tape)
Series 4
Newspaper Clippings
box 5, folder 1-19
San Francisco Chronicle
October 18, 1998-December 13, 1990
box 5, folder 20-35
San Francisco Examiner
October 18, 1989-December 21, 1990
box 6, folder 1-18
Newspaper Clippings from Various Newspapers Covering the Loma Prieta Earthquake
1989-1990
Series 5
Loma Prieta Earthquake Resource Materials
Scope and Contents
This series was housed in white binders and contains photocopies of information relating to the San Andreas Fault, emergency
services and response, and FEMA. Materials relating to the Loma Prieta Earthquake were rehoused and added to the collection.
Materials that did not relate to San Francisco or the Bay Area were removed. This series may have been donated to the library
by David Fowler, who worked as a Bay Area broadcast news reporter and later served on a statewide earthquake preparedness
task force. The series may be photocopies of Fowler's records.
box 7, folder 1
Earthquake Research Materials
box 7, folder 2
Earthquake Research Materials: News Transcripts, Newswire Articles
box 7, folder 3-4
Earthquake Resource Materials
box 7, folder 5-6
Earthquake Resource Materials about Loma Prieta
box 7, folder 7-8
Earthquake Spectra: Loma Prieta Earthquake Reconnaissance Report
box 7, folder 9-10
Law Enforcement Emergency Operations Report: Loma Prieta Earthquake
box 7, folder 11-12
Loma Prieta Earthquake Unmet Needs Action Plan
box 7, folder 13
Post-Quake Restoration of General Fund City Buildings
box 7, folder 14
Preliminary Report of Chief of Department on Earthquake and Fire, October 17, 1989
box 7, folder 15
Santa Cruz County 9-1-1 Recording Transcription, October 17, 1989. Beginning at 5:04
box 7, folder 16
Technical Seismic and Engineering Information. Appendix A.
