Making History Blog
Moishe Oysher: A Legend Comes to Pittsburgh
Like many cities in the Western Hemisphere, the Jewish population of Pittsburgh enjoyed the Yiddish theatre tradition. Theaters throughout the city were hosting Yiddish productions by the late 1800s, and…
MGM’s “Words and Music,” 1948: A Holiday Turning Point
During the holiday season of 1948, three well-known performing artists with Western Pennsylvania connections all appeared in the same motion picture: MGM’s movie musical “Words and Music,” a biopic roughly…
Why Women’s History Initiatives Matter
An October post featuring Pittsburgh businesswomen garnered such great response that it deserved a follow up. These efforts remind us why celebrations like the 19th Amendment Centennial need to go…
Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine
Dr. Jonas Salk saved countless lives around the world with the development of an effective vaccine for polio. Dr. Jonas Salk (center) and his team of researchers saved countless lives…
The Story of a Box of Candles: “A Beautiful Gift of Memory”
In the Chanukah display of the A Very Merry Pittsburgh experience at the Heinz History Center is a box of candles with 120 years of history. The box itself is…
2020 Holiday Gift Guide
The History Center Museum Shop has Pittsburgh-proud gifts for everyone on your shopping list this holiday season! Shop online or stop by the Museum Shop daily from 10 a.m.…
Pittsburgh’s Nearly Lost Gothic Tale
J. Baillie, “Great Conflagration at Pittsburgh, Pa., April 10, 1845,” lithograph, 1845. Many artists published images of the disaster at Pittsburgh, focusing on the dramatic moment when the Smithfield…
Why Tell Your Story? A Reflection on October 27
The following was first published in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. While browsing the website of a local bookstore this summer, I found a horrifying and frustrating book published in…
Pittsburgh Women in Business: Celebrating National Women’s Small Business Month
A painting in the History Center’s exhibition, Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the National Portrait Gallery, features naturalist and artist John James Audubon (1785-1851), who came through this…
Jasmine Cho’s Portraits in Icing
Please note that these cookie portraits are no longer on display at the museum. Thank you. The Heinz History Center’s current exhibition, Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the…