Monday morning nostalgia fix
Pittsburgh, Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix: The University of Pittsburgh's Digital Research Library is scanning thousands of historic photographs from various collections, including the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, and Pitt's own archives.
Begun in 2002, the project was originally funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Although that original grant has run out, the effort continues with support from various contributors and the University itself.
Here's a small piece of a photo from the Pittsburgh City Photographer's collection. The image, snapped on May 13, 1965, shows an animated billboard that promotes Channel 11, then known as WIIC-TV ("The Eyes of Pittsburgh"). To view the complete image, click here.
Unless I miss my guess, the photo was taken on Grant Street near the present site of One Mellon Bank Center (or Bank of New York Mellon or whatever it's called now), but feel free to add your correction in the comments below.
(We don't think this photo is copyrighted, since it was taken by a government agency, and we also think publishing a small portion is fair use, but we're trying to play it safe here. Please, don't sue us. We're poor!)
Readers’ Forum
Interesting irony, that the picture is under an ad for a then-McKeesport-based bank, now of course buried somewhere under the National City title.
pcloonan (URL) - August 06, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Oh, one more thing, I think that is where the U.S. Steel tower later was built.
pcloonan (URL) - August 06, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Channel 11 turns 50 on September 1!
JP - August 06, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Nope, you’re right: Corner of Grant and Fifth, site of the One Mellon Center tower.
That’s the federal Courthouse and Post Office in the background. Which would place the Union Trust Building to the immediate left in the picture (behind those lightposts to the left edge of the photo), and the photo taken (probably) from in front of the Frick Building entrance.
Johnny Morgan - August 06, 2007 at 11:43 pm