Digital Presentations

Incredible Penn Avenue: 254 Years after General John Forbes’ Victory

 What a march it was. What a drive it is!

Pittsburgh’s Penn Avenue follows the path that British General John Forbes and his troops hacked through the wilderness as they marched westward to take control of the Point in November 1758. The French fled, and the British were victorious.

Two-hundred fifty-four years later, Penn Avenue offers an incredibly rich experience for the biker, hiker, or driver. In this fast-paced presentation or more than 300 photos, you’ll travel along Penn Avenue from Wilkinsburg to Pittsburgh’s Point, past the neighborhoods of Point Breeze, Larimer, East Liberty, Friendship, Bloomfield/Garfield, Lawrenceville, the Strip District, and Cultural District. You’ll see architectural landmarks, historic fences and walls, murals, a wonderful variety of stores and signs––and a diverse cast of characters including Steeler fans, culture buffs, shoppers, yoga enthusiasts, and photographers.

Penn Avenue, more than any other road in Pittsburgh, embodies the feeling of loss, renewal, and opportunity in our 21st-century city. And, it’s a pretty straight eight-mile path, with just a few ups and downs.

Presenter: Louise Sturgess, Executive Director of PHLF.
Fee: $150
Time: One hour, including time for questions and discussion.
Booking group to provide: PowerPoint projector, laptop, screen, and microphone.  PHLF will send CD with program images a few weeks before event so that group can test in its equipment and have everything set-up and ready at appointed time.

Contact Mary Lu Denny (marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808, ext. 527) to schedule a presentation date.

Celebrating Pittsburgh: Its Character and Significance

This presentation of 72 images, so rich in detail, was created in 2008 for the Frick Art & Historical Center’s exhibition, “A Panorama of Pittsburgh: Nineteenth-Century Printed Views.” Following an overview of Pittsburgh’s physical development, the presentation concentrates on a series of 19th-century lithographs, watercolors, prints, and even a letter that were made to describe, publicize, and promote the city. It concludes with a fast-paced tour of 21st-century Pittsburgh, showing how the 19th-century lives on in notable landmarks. Memorable quotations from David McCullough (author/historian), Walter C. Kidney (author), David Lewis (urban planner), and Clyde Hare (photographer), among others, help define Pittsburgh’s unique character and significance.

Presenter: Louise Sturgess, Executive Director of PHLF or Richard Domencic, Ph.D.
Fee: $150
Time: One hour, including time for questions and discussion.
Booking group to provide: PowerPoint projector, laptop, screen, and microphone.  PHLF will send CD with program images a few weeks before event so that group can test in its equipment and have everything set-up and ready at appointed time.

Contact Mary Lu Denny (marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808, ext. 527) to schedule a presentation date.

Memorable Places/Recent Changes

This is a visual feast—including more than 255 images—showing memorable places in the Golden Triangle and in areas north, east, and south of downtown that have undergone recent changes as a result of restorations, adaptive-use projects, and new construction. The interactive presentation draws on participants’ memories and knowledge of Pittsburgh and reveals how historic preservation efforts have helped create a city of great beauty and character.

Presenter: Louise Sturgess, Executive Director of PHLF or Richard Domencic, Ph.D.
Fee: $150
Time: One hour, including time for questions and discussion.
Booking group to provide: PowerPoint projector, laptop, screen, and microphone.  PHLF will send CD with program images a few weeks before event so that group can test in its equipment and have everything set-up and ready at appointed time.

Contact Mary Lu Denny (marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808, ext. 527) to schedule a presentation date.

Pittsburgh: Quirks and All

This PowerPoint presentation reveals the quirks of fate and quirky physical characteristics that have made—and make—Pittsburgh the unique city that it is.  A brief historical introduction about “getting here” is followed by a brief section on “getting around.”  Then, the presentation focuses on quirky places in Downtown Pittsburgh and in several city neighborhoods.  After a few quick references to our four seasons and weather, the presentation wraps up with a nod to the continuing significance of steel (and the Steelers) to this region, and finishes with the “pop” and point of Pittsburgh!

Presenter: Louise Sturgess, Executive Director of PHLF
Fee: $150
Time: One hour, including time for questions and discussion
Booking group to provide: PowerPoint projector, laptop, screen, and microphone.  PHLF will send CD with program images a few weeks before event so that group can test in its equipment and have everything set-up and ready at appointed time.

Bridge Engineering

This PowerPoint presentation by Todd Wilson is excellent for teachers to use in the classroom to explain bridge buiding principles.
Fee: Free
Download Here to download PDF:  Bridge Engineering