Making History Blog
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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…
Maude Y. Hawkins: Charting an Independent Path
This story was originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of Western Pennsylvania History. Portrait of Maude Y. Hawkins, c. 1960. Maude Y. Hawkins Photographs, MSQ 171, Detre Library…
Resilience in Ruffles: A New Look at Pittsburgh’s Suffrage Shirtwaist Ball
As the History Center explores the theme of resilience as part of its “History’s Helpers” initiative, it is a good time to revisit an event that has been discussed…
With Mercy and Compassion – National Nurse’s Day
Portrait of Catherine McAuley, c. 1835. Courtesy of Sisters of Mercy of Pittsburgh. In 1824, after inheriting the estate of distant relatives she had cared for over the course of 20…
Annie Jacobs Davis: “The Mother of Montefiore Hospital”
Portrait of Annie Jacobs Davis. Gift of Barnett Davis, Incorporated. The name Annie Jacobs Davis is synonymous with Montefiore Hospital. Montefiore was the first Jewish hospital in Western Pennsylvania.…
Women in Trade and Manufacturing
Sarah Kizina on her first day working in Meadowcroft’s blacksmith shop. Dewayne Curry, the primary smith at Meadowcroft, is teaching. Nothing quite strains our nostalgic vision of times past…
Rachel Carson: The Pursuit of a Better Environment
A fair share of important figures emerged from Pittsburgh’s history. One of the most courageous and influential women to come from the region is Rachel Carson, the namesake of…
Five Frontier Women
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Fort Pitt Museum recognizes five women essential to early frontier history. Massy Harbison life-like figure at the Fort Pitt Museum. Massy Harbison…
Can You Name Five Women Artists?
Since 2016, the National Museum of Women in the Arts has celebrated Women’s History Month with a social media campaign raising awareness of the lives of women artists. The…
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…