Making History Blog
Remembering Johnny Majors
PITT National Championship, by Merv Corning, watercolor, 1996. Portraits of Coach Johnny Majors and Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett center this piece created…
Maude Y. Hawkins: Charting an Independent Path
This story was originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of Western Pennsylvania History. Portrait of Maude Y. Hawkins, c. 1960. Maude Y. Hawkins Photographs, MSQ 171, Detre Library…
From the Author: New Italian American Collection Book
Procession in Taverna, Italy, 1936. Gift of Michael Cosentino. Italian American Collection at the Heinz History Center. Thirty years ago, the Senator John Heinz History Center embarked on a…
Resilience in Ruffles: A New Look at Pittsburgh’s Suffrage Shirtwaist Ball
As the History Center explores the theme of resilience as part of its “History’s Helpers” initiative, it is a good time to revisit an event that has been discussed…
The Nine Jobs of Barney May
Barney May married Pauline Fleischman in 1872, after his sister introduced them. He was living in Williamsport, Pa. She was living in Pittsburgh, where they eventually settled about 1890.…
Lieutenant Paige Comes Home
Portrait of Mitchell Paige, artist unknown, oil on canvas, undated. Paige’s family celebrated their Serbian ancestry and the Serb National Foundation presented Paige with gifts when he returned in…
The Wonders of Spring at Meadowcroft
Spring is a wonderful time to be at Meadowcroft. So far this year, we have observed a variety of nesting birds: ravens, bluebirds, red-shouldered hawks, and red-tailed hawks. We…
Pop Positive: The Art of Burton Morris
Burton Morris in cast, age 3, 1967. Burton Morris Collection. Pittsburgh born and trained artist Burton Morris makes the ordinary extraordinary, animating everyday objects to create symbolic statements about…
Treatment of the Portrait Miniature of Ebenezer Denny
This blog was originally posted at Art Conservation Etc. The original post can be found online here. Thank you to the following contributors: Ana Alba, Alba Art Conservation LLC;…
Pittsburgh’s Fight Against Tuberculosis
Cover of the 1953 Tuberculosis League of Pittsburgh annual report. Breathe Pennsylvania Records, Detre Library & Archives at the History Center. As the world grapples with COVID-19, health officials…