Making History Blog
The Westinghouse Time Capsule
A version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of Western Pennsylvania History. At 1 p.m. on the 1938 autumnal equinox, Sept. 23, the Westinghouse Time Capsule…
The Search for Eagles at Meadowcroft
Editor’s Note: This post contains photographs of animal predators and their prey. Every winter since 2010, after Meadowcroft has closed for the season, the site has taken part in a…
Happy Birthday, Nat Youngblood!
An example of one of the Nat Youngblood’s early Roto Magazine covers. The winter scene was printed on Jan. 21, 1951. After a heavy snowfall, skiers are setting out in…
A Very Aluminum Christmas
An aluminum tree in the lobby of the Alcoa Building, 1966. Alcoa Company Photographs, MSP 282, Detre Library & Archives at the History Center. Emerging in the mid-1950s, aluminum Christmas…
Clothing the Royal Americans: Part Three
Part One | Part Two | Part Three Sergeant “Adam Samm” wearing a sergeant’s uniform of the Royal American Regiment on display at the Fort Pitt Museum. In this blog…
Nativity Scenes From Around the World
Presepio, 1930s-1950s, Italian American Collection at the Heinz History Center. The History Center Italian American Collection’s 33 piece presepio was originally amassed by the Albini family of Vandergrift, Pa. A…
Awaiting the Arrival of Old St. Nick
When does the Christmas season begin? For retailers these days, the answer seems to be “as soon as possible.” While the weekend after Thanksgiving has long served as the unofficial…
Riot Gear and Red Vests: Remembering 1968 with the Pittsburgh Police Collection
The topic of police-community relations seems to be constantly in the news these days. Many of the questions that we now ask regarding the role of the police and the…
Pittsburgh Aviator Calbraith Perry Rodgers
Calbraith Perry Rodgers in 1911. A young adventurer from Pittsburgh defied odds and changed aviation forever after completing the world’s first transcontinental flight in 1911. Calbraith Perry Rodgers Jr. was…
Mid-Century Modern: The Taylor Family Collection
The #Pixburgh: A Photographic Experience exhibition opens on Dec. 17, 2016 at the Heinz History Center. Read all posts related to the project by searching the #pixburgh tag on our…