Publishing Pittsburgh Pictures Lecture Series
A lecture series hosted by the iSchool and the Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists
All lectures in this series will be held in Room 501 of the Information Science Building, 135 North Bellefield Avenue. Each event will include an informal coffee with the speaker, beginning at 10:30 AM. The lecture will take place from 11:00 AM - noon.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Ron Baraff and Tiffani Emig, Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area
Seeing Pittsburgh, published by Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, 2008
Seeing Pittsburgh
In celebration of Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary, Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area worked with 44 Pittsburghers from eleven neighborhoods to produce the Seeing Pittsburgh project. Asked to use cameras to show us what defines their community, these residents captured the sights and stories of their daily lives. The results form the basis of the Seeing Pittsburgh exhibit and accompanying book.
Seeing Pittsburgh presents a diverse sampling of the types of neighborhoods found in the region: industrial and post-industrial neighborhoods; early “suburbs within the city;” as well as white collar and working class suburbs.
In addition to working with a wide variety of neighborhoods, the project sought a diverse group of residents to serve as volunteer photographers. “We made a real attempt to find different types of Pittsburghers to participate - children and senior citizens, those who have been in the community for their entire lives and those who have recently arrived,” says Ron Baraff, Director of Museum Collections and Archives. “The focus wasn’t on who could take the best picture, but on how average residents view their neighborhood and their city.”
Co-editors, Ron Baraff and Tiffani Emig will explore the process of pulling together the project from nebulous idea to finished product, including: concept and design; project funding; building community partnerships; collection of oral histories; photographic, design and textual editorial decisions; and project promotion.
Ron Baraff
Mr. Baraff has been in his current position as the Director of Museum Collections and Archives for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, in Homestead, PA, since July of 1998. He supervises the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Archives and Museum, determines and sets policies concerning collections, photographic, papers, records, and object acquisition, preservation, conservation and management, develops museum exhibits, develops educational programs, develops computerized databases for collection management, develops inventories and finding aids for collections, assists patrons, researchers, and internal institution needs with historical research and reference, supervises staff, interns, docents and volunteers, designs, institutes and administers Oral History, Interpretive and Multi-media projects. Mr. Baraff has written and administered many grants for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area from federal, state and private sources.
Tiffani Emig
Ms. Emig has been in her current position as the Curator of Collections for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, in Homestead, PA, since 2004. She has curated a number of temporary exhibits for Rivers of Steel including Masters of Their Domain: Little Steel, 1850-Present and Seeing Pittsburgh.
