Making History Blog
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Rodman’s Big Gun
Little Mountain Howitzer cannon next to the 20-inch Rodman gun as a featured attraction at the 1879 Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, Pa. The largest cannon of the Civil…
Could this be the oldest photograph of a Pittsburgher? … Maybe.
The original photo of the Rodman daguerreotype taken with a flash that helped bring out detail in the damaged plate. It is a “sixth plate” daguerreotype and measures 2.75…
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…
Freedom and Coal Towns: A Portrait
Wandering the aisles of the Visible Storage exhibition at the Heinz History Center, a visitor can catch a glimpse into an almost-forgotten period of coal mining culture. In the back…
Bound by Tradition: Prisoner Restraints in the Captive Experience
One of the most important steps for native war parties taking captives on the early American frontier was to prevent their prisoners from making an untimely escape. Tasked with the…
Women’s Right to Vote
These examples of buttons and badges reflect a ground-breaking moment in American political history — women receiving the right to vote. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which states, “The…
John Brashear’s Forgotten Time Capsule
The simple box has a shallow lid and was soldered shut. Etched into the underside of the lid is the name E. Miller, likely Edward Miller, who was one of…
John Woodruff at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin
University of Pittsburgh freshman and Connellsville, Pa., native John Woodruff won the 800-meter gold medal with a time of 1:52.9 in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin, Germany.…
What a Political Ribbon Shows About the Political Process
Large silk ribbon with the text of Pennsylvania Governor Joseph Hiester’s inaugural address. 2015.22.857 Krasik Collection of Pennsylvania and Presidential Political Memorabilia, Heinz History Center. This large silk ribbon displays…
Uncovering Crime: Documenting Pittsburgh’s Criminal Past
Unidentified woman with guns hidden under box frame mattress, c. 1930. Pittsburgh Public Schools Collection, Senator John Heinz History Center. A woman sits on the edge of a box frame…