Books

Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and a major American philanthropist, sought to bring world-class art and culture to Pittsburgh. This book looks at how the Carnegie International exhibit came into being in 1895, the early exhibitions, the art, artists, and the public reception to it.

From 1909-1914 the Pittsburgh Survey brought together statisticans, social workers, engineers, lawyers, physicians, economists, and city planners to study the effects of industrialization on the city of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Surveyed examines the accuracy and the impact of the influential Pittsburgh Survey, emphasizing its role in the social reform movement of the early twentieth century.

A study of the immigrants who flocked to this Central Pennsylvania steel town in the late nineteenth century in search of employment. Comprised primarily of Southern blacks and Eastern European immigrants, they formed the lower class of this town. Analyzes the social structure and dominance of the white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant elite.

In 1986, with little warning, the USX Homestead Works closed. Thousands of workers who depended on steel to survive were left without work. A Town Without Steel looks at the people of Homestead as they reinvent their views of household and work and place in this world.

A Celebration of Life That Reaffirms Our Connections to the Natural World

Unforgettable photographs from Roy Stryker’s Pittsburgh Photographic Library (PPL) capture the convergence of destruction and rejuvenation that is the essence of an urban renaissance–all the anxiety and hope of the fifties is reflected in these poignant photographs and explained through essays and narrative.

The first thorough guide to the design and history of “Kentuck,” designed in 1953-1954 by Frank Lloyd Wright, only seven miles from Fallingwater. Donald Hoffmann includes more than fifty photographs, drawings, diagrams, and a descriptive text to illustrate the structural peculiarities of the house based on the equilateral triangle.

A detailed, carefully wrought business biography of Henry Clay Frick, one of the leading entrepreneurs in American heavy industry during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kenneth Warren has provided not only insight into the life of Henry Clay Frick, but a major contribution to our understanding of the history of the basic industries, the shaping of society, locality, and region – and thereby of laying the foundations for the value systems and landscapes of present-day America.

This unique collection features double-page spreads of Douglas Cooper’s charcoal and paper drawings, the inspiration for his artistic vision, formal properties of his art and how it relates to architecture; and essay excerpts from Pittsburgh authors: poetry, historical accounts, and stories of the daily lives of Pittsburghers. Through words and art, his work shows the urban landscape of Pittsburgh as you have never seen it before.

The Steel Workers remains a readable and timeless account of labor conditions in the early years of the steel industry. An introduction by the noted historian Roy Lubove places the book in political and historical context.

Pittsburgh Sports mixes the personal experiences of fans and athletes with team histories to capture the full range of what it means to be a sports fan—in Pittsburgh, or, by extension, anywhere.

Chronicles the development of industry, education, religion, social customs, law and order, and many other aspects of life in Western Pennsylvania up until the War of 1812. Based upon the original work of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Survey, from 1931-1935.

A celebration of Pittsburgh’s industrial landscape and an eloquent tribute to a way of life largely disappearing in America. A unique addition to the literature on the importance of place.

Excerpt from Flatlanders and Ridgerunners: Out-Riddling the Judge Back in Prohibition my uncle made moonshine. His name was Moses Kenny and his whiskey–they called it “White Mule” was the best in the county. Well, the feds got after him and finally they arrested him. Took him to a federal judge down in Philadelphia. Now, the judge liked a good time and thought he’d have a little fun with this hick from the mountains. When Uncle came into court, he said, “are you the Moses who can make the sun dark?” Moses looked at him and said slowly, “Nope, your honor. But I am the Moses who can make the moon shine.” The judge let him go.

Spring Training is a look back at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1988 spring training season in Bradenton, Florida that reveals how the fundamentals of baseball are taught and learned. The author has added a new introduction and postscript, which includes a lengthy interview with manager Jim Leyland about the lessons that can be learned from losing.