Friday, March 21, 2008

Pittsburgh - The Story of an American City


I just found this book, though I'm sure more avid readers have been aware of it for a long time. There are several well thought out historical essays including one by David L. Lawrence himself. Additionally, there are a ton of really interesting pictures. Some of my favorite pictures...
  • Page 222 "The Smithfield Street Bridge at Rush Hour" - of course in 1890s that meant several horse drawn carriages coming across the river.
  • Page 249 "The Pirates in 1983" - Handle bar mustaches on baseball players, where have the good old days gone?
  • Page 62 Plan of the city in 1795 - This plan of the city shows the two old ponds in downtown (since covered up) and the sand bar in the Monongahela where they planned to grow buckwheat.
  • Page 600 "The New Subway" - I like it because it shows the old trolley cars running through the tunnels.
  • Page 296 "South Side" - The steal furnaces running at the J & L plant. This is currently the Southside Works.
  • Page 354-361 "The Flood of 1936" - You have to see it to believe it.

There are many other beautiful and historically interesting pictures as well as a magnificently detailed timeline at the end of the book. I found it on Amazon for only $13.57.

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