Making History Blog
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The Steel Woman of the Steel City: Catherine Baker Knoll
Four seemingly dissimilar objects actually tell the rich and complex story of an iconic Pennsylvania woman. A blue overcoat, a green inaugural gown, a black and gold Pittsburgh Steelers…
Inspiring Women in Pittsburgh History
Western Pennsylvania’s rich history is full of women who broke down barriers and made a lasting impact on the region and the world. Journalist Nellie Bly, conservationist Rachel Carson,…
Women at Fort Pitt During the French & Indian War
Women consisted of a quarter of the population living outside the walls of Fort Pitt in the early 1760s. Two Pittsburgh censuses exist from that time: the first from…
Lois Weber, First American Woman Film Director
The Pittsburgh region has been home to many remarkable women over the years, including journalist Nellie Bly, abolitionist Jane Grey Swisshelm, and environmentalist Rachel Carson. But there’s another one you…
At the Shirtwaist Ball
This notice advertising the ball as “the Most Democratic Fete ever attempted in Pittsburgh” was quoted often in the event’s press coverage. Winifred Meek Morris Papers and Photographs, Detre…
The Real Rosie the Riveter
The classic Rosie the Riveter poster created for Westinghouse by Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller. In late 1942, a Pittsburgh freelance artist named J. Howard Miller painted a poster…
Nellie Bly: A Race Against Time
This post is an edited excerpt of “Nellie Bly: Pioneer Journalist Extraordinaire,” which appeared in the summer 2017 issue of Western Pennsylvania History Magazine. Learn more about Western Pennsylvania native…
Taking the Field: Women and Baseball
Just as World War II impacted the political, social, and cultural life of the nation and created new opportunities for women at work, so too did it alter sport…
A Jazz Legacy: Mary Lou Williams
Portrait of Mary Lou Williams, New York, N.Y., c. 1946. Photo by William P. Gottlieb, courtesy of the Library of Congress. As an American jazz hub during the 1930s, Pittsburgh…
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…