sergey1965
25190
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5
The Cliff House ablaze — September 7, 1907.
One of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks consumed by fire.
©olor by Sergey V. Rauzin, 2025
#digitalcolorization_by_sergey_rauzin #history #oldphotos #historicalmoment #vintage #retro #photorestore #colorizedhistory #colorization #restored #colorised #digitalcolorist #smallworks #urbanphotography #streetshot #lifestylephotography #oldphoto #colorize
The fire at the Cliff House on Sept. 7, 1907.
©olor by Sergey V. Rauzin, 2025
The fire at the Cliff House on Sept. 7, 1907.
©olor by Sergey V. Rauzin, 2025
The fire at the Cliff House on Sept. 7, 1907.
©olor by Sergey V. Rauzin, 2025
FlyingTigerRose
Wow - stunning!
newdeckchairforthetitanic
It burned because of fire?
TrueLegateDamar
Looks like something from a Wes Anderson movie.
Rendova
Lot of fires in San Fran 1906-07.
VIOLAATA
This looks so realistic—if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was originally shot in color!
sergey1965
Thank You.
nouseforanameforthisshit
https://imgur.com/6NfmQ.jpg
OliverOtter
I wonder how it got that name.
SpottedThieves
Wasn't that where the vampires lived in Lost Boys?
CynicalGDog
Blue Oyster Cult - Imaginos
Blakeadelic
Still there today, although the first two burned down
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_House,_San_Francisco
Evenmoreuselessname
Wow, that present day iteration is ugly compared to iteration #2.
periwinklepanda
Seriously. Ew.
RacecarIsRacecarBackwards
#4 is probably not yet a fire at the Cliff House.
FlintNorth44
Why is it called Cliff House?
vegivamp
It's full name is Clifford Demesne.
DucksAreGood
It was built by John C. House in 1906.
ChrisTravel
It’s Cliff Richards’ Living Doll-house. But since it was a bit of a mouthful, … Cliff House.
MeatPopsicleMultiPass
A real cliffhanger of a question!
pritolus
We may never know ...
coolnotcooljkcool
HOUSEY MCHOUSEFACE
drunkninjasmurf
Cliff is short for Clifford.
OldHippie51
Cliff Clavin lived there.
qarlific
Yea, why isn't it called Fiery Burny Down House? This is dumb.
somethingsomethingwittyhere
Don't leave us on a cliffhanger!
TheLastGreatAudit
It's where Cliff lives.
ulfgarBentbeak
Funny enough, this version of the cliff house was also called the Gingerbread Palace at the time.
BopNiblets
itsko
XD
IAmTheBadW01f
Cliff used to live there
Blakeadelic
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJleXI4YWU1Y3Rxemd4c3lxODMzNnFnaXAzeWIwbHo4bmg3ZmRpNmpucyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/l0MYLj9rlDiodRwys/giphy.mp4
torp
I don't want to bragg or look patronizing but one hypothesis that might have a good chance of being the good one is because it's built on a cliff.
benadrylbumblebutt
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJlcWxtaHY4ZjFmYzZ1amRmNmh0NDZ3ZmFqaTVnZXFqMzFuZnJtZWp4aCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/fXJyMfUdqVCMPAnPJM/200w.mp4
ChrisTravel
Not sure about that… a little far-fetched, don’t you think?
bexxMaker
What was the reason for the fire? Lightning strike?
TheSwedishMoose
Something got really hot.
ulfgarBentbeak
Most likely an electrical fire. It was closed for renovation at the time, and the fire started in an area were electricians were known to be working. At least according to the proprietor at the time.
Evenmoreuselessname
So, micro lightning strike?
ulfgarBentbeak
unfortunately, Lightning by definition has to be a natural rather than man-made electrical discharge. There was no mention of inclement weather at the time of the incident, so it's not reasonable to believe the fire to be a result of lightning discharge due to man-made priming of conditions. So, no, not technically micro lightning strike.
thisistheusernamethatneverendss
Domesticated lightning
rubypilgrim
This is the second Cliff House. The first one also burned down - twice. First, because bizarrely a ship was abandoned offshore, loaded with dynamite and also inexplicably lit oil lamps. It exploded when it ran aground near the Cliff House, burning much of the building. That was repaired, but then a few years later, a fire caused by a defective flue burned the building to the ground. The building in this photo was built in its place. It survived the 1906 fire, but again burned to the ground -
rubypilgrim
the next year because electricians made a mistake. A third Cliff House was built in 1909, and still stands today, though it has undergone many remodels. It's empty now due to a lease dispute between the owner (the National Park Service) and the most recent tenant, who apparently trademarked the name. It's getting an extensive remodel and might be reopened late this year or next, but might not be called the Cliff House. Now you can impress people at parties with all this knowledge!
smittyatyou
Well you sure as hell impressed us at this party
MrSnuffleupagus172
The current version does not appear nearly as classic or iconic as the previous ones…kinda looks like a warehouse from afar…IMHO
https://secretsanfrancisco.com/cliff-house-reopening-delayed-2025-sf/
rubypilgrim
yeh, there's been a very loose interpretation of "rebuilding"
GasBandit
Until it burns down, falls over, and THEN sinks into the swamp!