Making History Blog
Martha Graham Inspires Modern Dance in Pittsburgh
Detail, Martha Graham, by Paul Meltsner, oil on canvas, 1938. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Inspiration takes many forms. American artist Paul Meltsner was fascinated by…
Pennsylvania Women and the Vote
On the Centennial of the 19th Amendment Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which made it illegal to deny…
Negro League Centennial: Negro League Baseball in Pittsburgh
The Homestead Grays baseball uniform of second baseman Clarence Bruce is on display in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Bruce wore number 46 for the Grays for the 1947…
Vintage Base Ball Q&A with Adam Johnson
“Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd…” Each summer, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in scenic Avella, Pa., hosts an exciting afternoon of vintage…
The Numbers Banker’s Safe
William “Bill” Snyder (c. 1897-1984) was a bootlegger and gambler whose brief career in the 1920s and 1930s forever changed Pittsburgh. Along with Gus Greenlee, Woogie Harris, and Richard…
A Life, in Art: Shelly Blumenfeld
“Mother’s Day on Logan Street,” by Rochelle Blumenfeld. Courtesy of Rochelle Blumenfeld. “Mother’s Day on Logan Street” tells three Pittsburgh stories. The first is the story of a childhood…
Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act: Paul Dick
Paul posing with his siblings in the summer of 1954 alongside a road. Left to right: Paul, Alan, Glen, Mary Ellen, and George Dick. Holly and Paul Dick Family…
Tiger Brand Paint
Double-sided enamel sign from the Levine Brothers hardware store that advertises Lawrence Tiger Brand paint. Gift of Levine Brothers, 2012.80.2. Photo by Liz Simpson. A tiger is a powerful,…
Exploring Images of John Brown
John Brown, by Anton Hohenstein after Martin Lawrence, published by John Smith, lithograph on paper, 1866. Currently on display in the exhibition Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the…
Johnny Garneau: Smorgasbords & Sneeze Guards
The original all-in-one sneeze guard table at Johnny Garneau’s Smorgasbord when it opened in Monroeville, 1958. Gift of Barbara Garneau Kelley. If you grew up in Western Pennsylvania from…