Andrew Ritchie Photographs, 1990-1991Andrew Ritchie Photographs, 1990-1991

Photographs taken by Andrew Ritchie in Oakland, California (1990-1991). The bulk of the photographs are of the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm, taken both during and after the fire. Ritchie photographed the active burn while working alongside other civilians to fight off the fire with garden hoses, successfully saving two homes, and revisited the burn zone later to document the destruction. Also includes a letter of commendation from President George H.W. Bush, for Ritchie's role in fighting the fire, and a series of negatives taken at a Nelson Mandela rally at the Oakland Auditorium, 1990.