Pittsburgh is Spelled With "H"
Object number2018.82.1
Artist
Nora Thompson
Date2017
MediumColored pencil on Bristol board
Pencil; paper
Credit LineGiven in honor of Anne Madarasz's 25th anniversary with the Heinz History Center by her friends and colleagues
DescriptionRectangular white Bristol board paper with inset rectangular colored pencil drawing/illustration. Scene's midground features two uniformed police officers uncovering a yellow "H" from a brown sack with a criminal in custody to the viewer's right. Background has band of green trees with orange city name perched atop the trees to the viewer's left of the "H". Blue and purple sky with white puffy clouds. Viewer's left foreground has partial journalist holding a camera. Reverse is undecorated.DimensionsHeight x Width (Overall): 13.813 x 17 in. (35.1 x 43.2 cm)Height x Width (Drawn area not including title): 8 x 15.5 in. (20.3 x 39.4 cm)
SignedArtist signature on the illustration in the viewer's bottom right corner "NORA / THOMPSON".
InscriptionsIllustration features orange text in the viewer's top left quadrant "PITTSBURG" followed by a larger yellow "H".
Journalist's hat in the viewer's left foreground has gray text "PRESS".
MarksBelow the illustration at top center of bottom margin is handwritten text in pencil "PITTSBurgh IS SPELLed With 'H' / the GAZette Times / JULY 22, 1911".
Historical NotesArtwork by Nora Thompson, a local Pittsburgh artist. Label TextOn December 23, 1891, in an attempt to standardize the spelling of place names, the United States Board of Geographic Names removed the "H" at the end of "Pittsburgh" which had been in place for more than 100 years. Local citizens, led by Postmaster William Hamilton Davis, began a campaign to restore the missing letter. On July 19, 1911, a special meeting of the board concluded that reinstatement of the letter was warranted, and the announcement of the change ran three days later, on July 22nd, in the Gazette Times.
Related institution
The Gazette Times
On View
Not on view
Nat Youngblood
Nat Youngblood
