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This collection of stereoviews showing the devastation of the "Storm of the Century" has been gathered over the last ten years. Before the advent of eBay, I was not aware that stereoviews of the aftermath of the 1900 Galveston Storm even existed. I stumbled across a single view one evening while searching for Galveston material. My grandmother Matilda Gruetzmacher was born and raised in Galveston before the 1900 Storm. Half her family died during the hurricane, leaving few mementos to be passed down. Her memories, though, were handed down through my father and his siblings. These stories of her familys death and survival have always been of great interest to the historian in me. When I found the stereoview, I knew I just had to acquire it for my genealogy of the Gruetzmacher Family. I honestly believed that only a few of these stereoviews of the storm existed, and that a collection of them would only number a few pieces. How wrong I was!
The total number of images of the Galveston Storm damage available to buyers in 1900 or soon after, and to collectors a century later, is unknown. I have now accumulated over 150 stereos to date and have seen another 25 or so that I missed buying when offered. Some of the collected views have a catalog number printed on them, so we can assume that at least 32 views may appear over time. As fewer unique views have appeared recently, I suspect that no more than 250 stereoviews were produced.
One of the largest group of stereoviews available are from the company Underwood & Underwood with 24 owned by the author, and shown on this page. The earliest releases of these views were printed on buff colored card stock with no number sequence given. One reprint view that I have is printed on dark gray card stock with the catalog number of 11215. It also has a series number of S176. This clue may be of help in tracking the total number of Galveston disaster photographs produced by Underwood.
At the bottom of this page you will find a series of links to other webpages which show additional views of the Galveston Storm wreckage produced by other manufacturers.
New York, London, Toronto-Canada, Ottawa-Kansas. Works and Studios - Arlington, N.J. Littleton, N.H. Washington, D.C. |
Stranded Boats and Wreckage on the beach at Texas City - Galveston Disaster. |
The Denver Reservey [Resurvey] Schools where Twenty-eight Soldier Boys lost their lives, Galveston Disaster. |
Frame Houses tossed about on Avenue M, Galveston, Texas. |
A School house that was carried 600 feet while all beyond was swept away. |
Where the terrible storm-driven Wave swept over Galveston - Workers removing Wreckage - Disaster 1900. |
St. Lucas Terrace, under whose ruins 80 bodies were found after this photograph was made, Galveston Disaster. |
Sad Galveston - burning bodies of the dead covered over with wreckage of their former homes - Disaster 1900. |
All that is left of the Grand Opera House, Galveston Disaster, 1900. |
A ruined City where 8,000 lives went out in the fury of one Night, Sept. 8, 1900, Galveston, Texas. |
Boats left on the Railway by the receding water, Galveston Disaster. |
Heart of the Gulf City after the Deluge - Church St. from Tremont Hotel, Galveston, Texas. |
St. Patrick's Church on 34th St., a Magnificent Building destroyed by Storm, Galveston, Texas. |
Acres of floating wreckage after the flood, Galveston, Texas. |
Extricating the Dead from the Debris of the Fallen City, Galveston, Texas. |
Recovering bodies from that awful chaos of Wreckage, Galveston Disaster. |
The Dead left by the Receding Flood, 33d St. and Avenue M, Galveston, Texas. |
Completely washed Away - the once densely populated Beach District of Galveston, Texas. |
Dredge Boat, driven eleven miles, and stranded three miles from the Sea - Galveston Disaster. |
In the Trail of the Storm - looking down Church St. from Tremont Hotel, Galveston, Texas. |
Great heaps of Wreckage piled high by those mighty waves, Galveston Disaster. |
The Street Railway Co.'s Power House as left by the Resistless Flood, Galveston, Texas. |
The Ursuline Academy, where many were saved from the fury of the Storm, Galveston, Texas. |
The Beautiful First Baptist Church a Heap of Ruins, Galveston, Texas. |
Flood-water still in street |
General wreckage. |
Sea-swept Galveston - A once prosperous section of beautiful homes near the beach - Disaster 1900. |
Bent House. |
Links to other manufacturers Galveston Storm stereoviews.
Here are some other Galveston links that you might find interesting.
Please feel free to e-mail questions, comments and suggestions to 1900Storm Copyright 2009 by Gregory M. Newton |