If you're reading this year's One City One Book selection, Zeitoun, you probably have your mind on hurricanes and floods. But in San Francisco, the natural disaster par excellence is earthquakes, especially the 1906 earthquake and fire. The San Francisco History Center has an archival collection that uniquely documents that disaster from the point of view of the insurance industry: Royal Indemnity Company Records of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, 1890-1987 (bulk 1901-1911).
The San Francisco earthquake and fire stands as one of the most significant natural disasters in United States history, but it is also extremely important in insurance history. After the disaster, many insurance companies could or would not pay claims in full for a variety of reasons: many companies suffered grave local losses themselves, some were financially unprepared to cover the policies they had written, and still others engaged in unethical business practices.
The Royal Indemnity Company Records document the practices of insurance companies after the disaster, specifically highlighting the fair practices of the Liverpool & London & Globe, Royal, and Queen Insurance Companies, who were lauded by the media and their industry as three of only five insurance companies that always paid their adjusted insurance claims in full, without discount.
Of particular interest are the graphic representations of the rebuilt Royal Insurance Company building at 201 Sansome Street, including internal and external photographs depicting before, during and after construction images; an advertising brochure for tenants; and a vanity publication showcasing the reconstructed building.
The collection also provides a fascinating practical insight into the cultural and psychological context of post-1906 San Francisco -– determined optimism and an effort toward order during a period rife with desperation and chaos. The Royal Indemnity Company Records offer an intimate view into the heart of a business that is not allowed to falter even under the most extreme conditions.
If you'd like to see the Royal Indemnity Company Records, please visit the San Francisco History Center during our open hours. To view the photographs from the collection, please visit during Photo Desk hours. For a guide to the collection, click here.
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| Royal Insurance Company pamphlet, 1928 |
The San Francisco earthquake and fire stands as one of the most significant natural disasters in United States history, but it is also extremely important in insurance history. After the disaster, many insurance companies could or would not pay claims in full for a variety of reasons: many companies suffered grave local losses themselves, some were financially unprepared to cover the policies they had written, and still others engaged in unethical business practices.
The Royal Indemnity Company Records document the practices of insurance companies after the disaster, specifically highlighting the fair practices of the Liverpool & London & Globe, Royal, and Queen Insurance Companies, who were lauded by the media and their industry as three of only five insurance companies that always paid their adjusted insurance claims in full, without discount.
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| London & Lancashire Fire Insurance Company pamphlet, undated |
The collection includes correspondence, ledgers of claims, minutes, and other operational documents; technical, scientific, financial, and personal reports about the disaster; a large scrapbook of newspaper articles spanning 1906-1908 pertaining to insurance practices; publications, and photographs.
Of particular interest are the graphic representations of the rebuilt Royal Insurance Company building at 201 Sansome Street, including internal and external photographs depicting before, during and after construction images; an advertising brochure for tenants; and a vanity publication showcasing the reconstructed building.
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| Royal Insurance Building advertisement, [1909] |
If you'd like to see the Royal Indemnity Company Records, please visit the San Francisco History Center during our open hours. To view the photographs from the collection, please visit during Photo Desk hours. For a guide to the collection, click here.
Images from Royal Indemnity Company Records of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, 1890-1987 (bulk 1901-1911) (SFH 16), courtesy San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
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