View of the Fairmont Hotel
Artist
Chiura Obata
(American, 1885 - 1975)
DateMay 1906
MaterialsWatercolor and graphite on paper
DimensionsOverall: H. 5 1/4 in × W. 7 1/2 in (13.3 cm × 19.1 cm)
Credit LineGift from the Estate of Chiura Obata
Object number2021.44
DepartmentJapanese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewPortfolioseries no. 14
InscribedVerso: 震災後の桑港（十四）千浦[花押]
明治三十九年五月
[English translation of Japanese verso inscription: "San Francisco after the Earthquake (14), Chiura [cipher] /
May, 1906 (Meiji 39)"]
More InformationThe new Fairmont Hotel was under construction when the earthquake hit San Francisco. In Obata’s sketch, the building still stands but soot on the hotel’s façade shows the effects of an interior fire. This view shows the hotel from a vantage point looking south on Mason Street. The fire-razed streetscape stands in poignant contrast to the palatial structure at the top of the hill.
![Looking [at] the Waterfront of San Francisco City](/internal/media/dispatcher/62466/thumbnail)