Old Smile

Arriving at the East Liberty train station in October, 1940


The train station in horse and buggy days:   

And damned if all roads don't lead to Google.  

Who knew Bakery Square had such origins?

 

Update: Wondering if the platform above is the one FDR used upon arrival - The Nabisco Bakery building was built in 1918:

The Nabisco plant had showers and locker rooms for employees, fireproof stairways, and large windows providing natural light. The original building stands seven stories, with two eight-story towers. Additions were built in 1928 and 1948.

Here's the East Liberty station and approach:

 

Name this Perspective

Old Google Time & Waiving from the Caboose

If Pittsburgh wins the Google fiber, maybe the first thing they can do is announce it from the new August Wilson Center.  That would really put it on the map...at least on Streetview.

Just trying to figure out this perspective below (click to enlarge). 

Is that looking down Liberty, the intersection above at center left?   Help old Pittsburghers!   Bonus points to anyone who can identify who's on the billboard at right.


Image assembled from FDR visit to Pittsburgh footage (1940).  Just before this, the camera pans east to west away from Union Station as FDR's train departs (look closely and you can see him waiving from the caboose).

A Pittsburgh Version of This...

From across the pond: Streetmuseum

...please

Old Roosevelt Home Movie

The clip above is from the full movie (17:41) available on the archive.



Hard to believe that film has been downloaded only 13 times. Thank you to the Roosevelt family for this national treasure.

FDR in Pittsburgh

Rare color footage of FDR visiting Pittsburgh on October 11, 1940.  According to a PG article from October 8th, he was in town to dedicate the Terrace Village housing project in the Hill District.  City and county workers were given a half-day off.  The parade route went through Swissvale, Rankin, Homestead, West Homestead, and part of the South Side.  Also apparently East Liberty (where his train arrived) and Penn Avenue downtown (from where it departed).



Also in that 10-minute silent clip is footage of Eleanor Roosevelt visiting Pittsburgh for a luncheon.

At the very beginning it looks as though FDR is manipulating his legs, perhaps loosening his braces after just getting into the car from the train? 

Here's an October 11th article from the evening copy of the Pittsburgh Press.  Lots of detail about the visit there (including the text of his speech).