Pittsburgh Indoors

Roman-style ceiling mosaic, the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel

While we had not expected to gamble with our luggage (which we have now, btw), we did expect that the weather in Pittsburgh in the third week of October would be iffy.

We've not been disappointed in that. It's cold, windy and sometimes it rains. But yesterday was fine enough for us to walk two hours on the way back from the Frick Pittsburgh.

There we saw a show of American folk art, American Perspectives. The whole show was a marvel, but the last room, and especially the last four pieces, almost had me in tears.

In memory of the Bath School massacre: on May 8, 1927, a man named Andrew Kehoe killed 38 children and 6 adults (including himself and his wife) first and foremost because he was sick in the head, but also because he was upset about his financial situation and the taxes he had to pay. He had rigged the schoolhouse, and his car, with explosives, all of which were wired to explode at the same time. Half of the dynamite he'd set under the school failed to go off.
His intention had been to blow up the whole school and kill all the people in it. This is a small hand carved wood replica of the bronze statue erected to remember the tragedy.

A "wood quilt" made from detritus in the aftermath of
hurricane Katrina, by Jean-Marcel St. Jacques.

Quilt by Jessie B. Telfair, who, in 1963, lost her job as a cook
because she attempted to register to vote.

Sculpture in wood and twine over unknown armature by Judith Scott, who, for 35 years was institutionalized (she had Down Syndrome) after being taken from her home and her twin sister at the age of seven. Once her twin obtained legal guardianship of her, she was enrolled in the Oakland Creative Growth Arts Centre. From then until her death in 2005, she lived happily and created sculptures from fabric and twine.

We saw the insides of some other fine old buildings from Pittsburgh's hey day, including The Frick Building

A very slidable-looking marble bannister.

And the Union Trust Building

Atrium over the rotunda.

On the way back from the Frick, I tripped on some uneven pavement, fell (I'm fine) and smashed my camera lens to smithereens. So, today, I'll be getting a new lens, then we're going to the Andy Warhol Museum, and, if the weather allows, we're going to walk the Three River Heritage trail over to the Duquesne Incline and ride it to the top and then to the bottom again.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Fortune And Her Wheel
Frick Building