Famous Pittsburghers at National Portrait Gallery exhibit
12.11.2020
General George Washington, Noel Le Mire, 1780; Washington volunteered to survey French holdings in the winter of 1753 with his findings helping to ignite the French and Indian War; he's credited with founding Pittsburgh
George Westinghouse, JG Gessford, 1906; this industrialist founded 90+ companies and pioneered air brakes, electric power distribution and shock absorbers among others
Rachel Carson, Alfred Eisenstadt, 1962; her expose on the impact of chemicals and industry on nature, Silent Spring (a tremendous book!!), laid the foundation for the modern environmental movement
Andrew William Mellon, Sir Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley, 1923; Pittsburgh native Mellon, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under 3 presidents, gave part of his art collection to found the National Gallery of Art
Fred Rogers, Nathan Benn, 1990; ordained as a Presbyterian minister, Mister Rogers recognized the power of television and focused his life on using the medium for the good of children
Roberto Clemente, Charles Harris, 1963; a critical team member of the 1960 Pirates World Series championship, in 18 seasons Clemente won 4 NL batting titles, the 1966 NL MVP Award and 12 straight Golden Gloves Awards
Frank Lloyd Wright, Arnold Newman, 1947; his interaction with a Pittsburgh department store family created a masterpiece, Fallingwater
John Pierpont Morgan, Sr., Adrian Lamb, 1966; this financier and banker founded US Steel Corporation and dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age
Dr. Jonas Salk, Peter Strongwater, 1982; he led the team at the Univ of Pittsburgh that developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine
Getrude Stein, Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1934; she inspired multiple generations of artists with her writing, collecting and determination to live her own life
Meriwether Lewis, William Strickland, 1816; the Lewis and Clark Expedition started from Pittsburgh that established sovereignty over the Louisiana Purchase and helped to strengthen the American concept of manifest destiny
Dr. Benjamin Spock, Philippe Halsman, 1966; he revolutionized the way that generations of parents raised their children (my parents used his book too)
Andy Warhol, Hans Namuth, 1981; his visual exploration of mass marketing and consumerism created a new genre of American art, pop art
Jimmy Stewart, Ted Allen, 1936; most famous for It's a Wonderful Life in 1946, he also distinguished himself as a combat squadron leader in Europe during World War 2
Joe Namath, Jack Davis, 1972; flamboyant and outspoken, Broadway Joe's talent and personality drew media attention that materially changed the NFL and pro sports
Lena Horne, Florence Meyer Homolka, 1950; getting her start working at her father's Pittsburgh hotel, Horne's role in the all-Black movie musical Stormy Weather made her a star
Arnold Palmer, Paul Callan Vincent Burns, 1979; in a career spanning 60+ years, Arnie won 4 Masters, 2 British Opens and a US Open title among 90+ championships
Henry Clay and Helen Frick, Edmund Charles Tarbell, 1910; this complex figure was an industrialist and union buster who was chairman of Carnegie Steel but also, in part, responsible for the Johnstown Flood
Ida Tarbell, Samuel Johnson Woolf, 1937; her landmark writings changed the face of American industry and pioneered the field of investigative journalism
Alexander Hamilton, William Rollinson, 1804; Hamilton first came to Pittsburgh in 1794 in an effort to quell violence caused by the Whiskey Rebellion
Johnny Unitas, Marv Corning, 1975; this Pittsburgh native was cut by the Steelers after training camp but went on to become one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history for the Baltimore Colts
Gene Kelly's screen-used costume from Singin' in the Rain, 1951; in addition to that blockbuster, Kelly starred in An American in Paris, Anchors Aweigh and On the Town
Posted by VagabondCowboy 01:42