#pixburgh

[renaissancedreams]

Salute Meek for repping for Wopo during his BET Performance. RIP Jimmy Wopo

[route22ny]

The Manchester Bridge in Pittsburgh.  It opened in 1915 and was the second bridge that connected the Point with the North Side of Pittsburgh. It replaced the wooden, covered Union Bridge (1874-1907). The Manchester Bridge was in use until 1969 (when it was replaced by the Fort Duquesne Bridge) and was demolished in 1970 as one of the final acts in the completion of the Point State Park project.  Undated photo, and caption info, from Jackson-Township Historical Preservation.

[route22ny]

This was the 43rd Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, also known as the Ewalt Street Bridge. Built in 1870, it connected Butler Plant Road in Millvale to 43rd Street (formerly Ewalt Street) in Lawrenceville. The bridge was demolished in 1924 and replaced with the Washington Crossing Bridge at 40th Street. The 43rd Street Bridge was the last covered bridge in Pittsburgh.  Undated photo, and caption info, from Jackson-Township Historical Preservation.

[route22ny]

The original Point Bridge (1877-1927) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1900.  The American Bridge Company submitted the winning bid, and the designer was their chief engineer, Edward Hemberle.  Ultimately the bridge proved too light-duty for twentieth century traffic, but its graceful design was appreciated by many:

(F)or many years the delicate web of the first Point Bridge rose above the confluence of the rivers, its large suspension towers like cathedral turrets soaring against Pittsburgh's sulphurous skies. The writer, as a small child, remembers motoring across it on a foggy morning in 1915 and the passage was like a dream as we proceeded in the old high-slung motor car through the truss and cables as through notes and bars of music. The great bridge was essentially a sonata, a poem, the music and poetry of the engineers, flung into the air by some calculated and yet incalculable sorcery and it achieved an effect perhaps never envisioned by its "practical" designers long vanished now; long vanished too, it lingers in the memory as something strong and beautiful and good, an ambassador of grace to the manufacturing principalities of nineteenth century Pittsburgh.

But, alas, all its poetry could not save it (the same could be said for many other engineering triumphs of the nineteenth century) and by the early 1920's it was more than evident that its days were numbered.

***

Photo from pittsburghmagazine.com; quote from a detailed description of the briidge found here.

[route22ny]

Looking across the river at downtown Pittsburgh from Mount Washington, circa 1905.  The Smithfield Street Bridge is closest to the photographer, with the Pan Handle Bridge to its right.  This perspective would be a short walk west from the Monongahela Incline which was, of course, operational at this time.  Photo by the Detroit Publishing Company via shorpy.com

[route22ny]

Looking at downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on “Light Up Night” in 1929.  The city joined communities across the US to celebrate “Light’s Golden Jubilee” (the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb) by illuminating bridges and downtown buildings.  Photo from the Heinz History Center.

[sw1mmy]

saturday evening at PNC Park (hometown pride pic)

[rustjungle]

ORIGINAL CONTENT: Hand lettered sign in the Pittsburgh Brewing Co. plant - Picksburgh, Penna. circa 2010. I had the was given permission by the demo company to photograph the place where the Arn [Iron] City beer that quenched many a thirst after a long day down the mill was born. A couple interesting things here: the calligraphy style hand lettering is different, and I love the back and forth ball busting scrawled on the sign. “C’mon Marty - fix it!” “ha ha” “Picture that” Giving ol Marty a hard way to go. I love that stuff. #therustjungle #demolition #demolished #ironcity #pittsburgh #pixburgh #steelcity #rustbelt (at Iron City Beer)