Perry North in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Allegheny Observatory
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, May 7, 2011
1. Allegheny Observatory Marker
Inscription.
Allegheny Observatory. . Part of the University of Pittsburgh. Chartered 1860; located here since 1912. At the original site nearby, Professor Samuel P. Langley conducted experiments that would lead to the first sustained, mechanically powered flight in 1896.
Part of the University of Pittsburgh. Chartered 1860; located here since 1912. At the original site nearby, Professor Samuel P. Langley conducted experiments that would lead to the first sustained, mechanically powered flight in 1896.
Erected 1979 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Location. 40° 28.961′ N, 80° 1.1′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in Perry North. Marker is on Riverview Avenue, 0.2 miles west of Perrysville Avenue (U.S. 19). Located in Riverview Park in Observatory Hill Section of Pittsburgh. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pittsburgh PA 15215, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Courtesy: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Photographed By Unknown, circa 1950
5. Allegheny Observatory
Courtesy: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, circa 1915
6. Allegheny Observatory luminaries, photographed on the observatory's steps
Founded for both private entertainment and public education, the Allegheny Observatory soon became a leading center of astronomical research. The men in this photo, taken on the steps of the observatory around 1915, include Harvard astronomer Edward C. Pickering (standing in the center), telescope maker John A. Brashear (to the right of Pickering), and observatory benefactor William Thaw (seated to Pickering's left)
Courtesy: Allegheny Observatory, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Photographed By Unknown, circa 1913
7. The Allegheny Observatory's 30 inch Thaw Telescope
In the early 1910s, Brashear Optical Co. designed and built the 30 inch Thaw telescope for the Allegheny Observatory. Designed for photographic use, the telescope has collected more than 110,000 exposures and helped set the distance scale of the universe.
Courtesy: Allegheny Observatory, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Photographed By Mike Wintermantel, March 24, 2013
8. Allegheny Observatory Historic Landmark plaque
Historic Landmark
Allegheny Observatory
1896-1912
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 883 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4, 5. submitted on July 7, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 6, 7. submitted on July 26, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 8. submitted on March 25, 2013, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.