Trip Report: November 27 - December 21, 2001
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
28 DAYS ON THE RAILS
AMBRIDGE AND PITTSBURGH
Thursday, December 6, 2001
The weather is a little cooler this morning, and we walk on the quiet streets of nearby Sewickley. Afterwards, we visit the imposing Laughlin Memorial Library in Ambridge, built by the money of the Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. I am looking for something specific, the June 1930 National Geographic magazine. I had just completed "Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine," the story of the dirigible "Graf Zeppelin." The bibliography referred to a timely photo story of the 1929 'round the world cruise. Many years ago, when I was in grade school, my father had taken me with him while he researched the discovery of the archeological site of Machu Pichu, in Peru. The librarian escorted us to the basement stacks, where he found a 1912 National Geographic which first reported on this discovery.
Hoping to find this collection intact, I entered the library this morning as I had done hundreds of times over the years while growing up in Ambridge. The library still looks the same outside and in, except for the addition of computer terminals. Unfortunately, the Geographic collection now only goes back to 1950. However, the librarian found that there was a copy of the June 1930 edition available at the Aliquippa library.
We jump into our Town Car and drive over the Ambridge-Woodlawn Bridge, built, of course, by the American Bridge Company in 1927. (Woodlawn was the original name of Aliquippa.) The B. F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa is every bit as imposing as the Laughlin Memorial Library in Ambridge. As you will recall, Jones and Laughlin were the founders of J & L Steel, and no doubt they were trying to outdo each other in the philanthropic area. The librarian graciously found the edition we were seeking and we eagerly perused the photos taken of and from the Graf Zeppelin, many of them by Eckener himself.
This evening we are attending Pittsburgh Ballet Company production of "The Nutcracker" at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. Benedum Center was formerly the Stanley Theater, built as a movie and vaudeville house in 1927. Seating 2800 and having the third largest stage in the country, bigger even than Radio City Music Hall, the Benedum has been faithfully restored to its original brilliance. Rich earth tone colors abound, outside and in. As we enter the magnificent lobby, we are greeted with Christmas Carols by a high school glee club in the upper level. Dazzling lighting fixtures, including the largest crystal chandelier that I have ever seen, in the ceiling above the balcony spread a warm glow throughout the interior. This is truly a "movie palace."
The Nutcracker performance was superb. A large orchestra, a dancing cast of dozens, and a girls choir presenting the song of the Snow Maidens as white confetti falls. We have first row balcony seats and the view and acoustics are excellent. Truly a festive evening.
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