The Italian American Collection sponsors exhibitions designed to showcase the historical and contemporary experiences of Italian Americans in Pittsburgh and the greater Western Pennsylvania region. In addition to stand-alone exhibits dealing with Italian-American topics, the Italian American Collection also loans artifacts for display in exhibitions dealing with other historical topics.
Current Exhibitions
The Darkest Month: Coal Mining Disasters of December 1907
Dec. 1, 2007 - Jan. 11, 2009
Recent news headlines surrounding mining disasters continue to bring attention to the perilous work performed by coal miners everyday. But none compare to the incidents that occurred throughout the nation in December 1907. In that fateful month, mine explosions in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere across the country claimed the lives of more than 700 coal miners. The History Center's exhibition, The Darkest Month, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the worst month in coal mining history and examines the day to day lives of Italian and other immigrant miners who came to the region in search of work.
Italian American Special Collections
Ongoing
Located on the fourth floor of the History Center, the Italian American Special Collections gallery is the museum's permanent display of museum artifacts collected from the Italian-American community. Artifacts on display include food and winemaking equipment, saint statues used in religious processions, tools used by Italian-American craftsmen, and works by Italian-American artists. The Special Collections gallery is open to the public during regular museum hours.
Pane E Lavoro/Bread and Work: A History of Western Pennsylvania's Italian Americans
Ongoing
The History Center's traveling exhibit of rare historical photographs explores the Italian immigrant experience in Western Pennsylvania from 1880 to 1950 with a particular focus of four key aspects of the region's Italian history - work, community, religion, and family life. The exhibit opened at the History Center in 2003 and has since toured locally, regionally, and internationally. Past venues include the Bottleworks Ethnic Arts Center, Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Palazzo dei Normanni, Palermo, Sicily; Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Rome, Italy; and the Universita' di Molise, Isernia, Italy.
It is presently on display at the Bloomfield Preservation and Heritage Society, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum
Ongoing
The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, located at the Heinz History Center, contains numerous objects illustrating the noteworthy contribution made by Italian Americans to sports in the Pittsburgh region. Among the many items on display are rare baseball cards of Edward Abbaticchio, the first Italian American major league baseball player; photographs of Sammy Angott (Samuel Engotti), an Italian-American world champion lightweight boxer from Washington, Pa.; artifacts from the Italian-dominated soccer leagues of Western Pennsylvania's coal country; Chip Ganassi's Indianapolis 500-winning racecar; and artifacts from Franco's Italian Army, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan group from the 1970s. Visitors to the museum will also find artifacts and photographs illustrating the game of bocce and can take turns playing on a simulation bocce court.
Past Exhibitions
From Italy to Indiana County: The Italian Experience in Indiana County and Environs
University Museum - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, Pennsylvania
2001-2002
From Paesi to Pittsburgh
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1997-1998
