Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

architecture

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Architecture of Oakland–from a PITT Student’s perspectiv

looking up into an ornately carved arch

looking up the stair raining at the front doorssign in front of St. Paul Cathedral

When I was a sophomore living on Craig Street, I would often pass St. Paul’s Cathedral and its perfectly landscaped surroundings. Every Sunday I would watch as crowds of people left the prominent, wooden doors and exited on to Fifth Avenue while I would walk to the library.

The cathedral was created in decorated Gothic style of the 14th Century, designed by Egan and Prindeville of Chicago and built by Thomas Reily. The building stands at 247 feet tall with a statue of St. Paul mounted on a center pediment. Other exterior statues depict apostles and evangelists.

Hayley Pontia is a student at The University of Pittsburgh who works as a part-time freelancer for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Through this blog series, she will share her unique perspective on our historic building and the surrounding architecture of nearby buildings in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

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Architecture of Oakland–from a PITT student’s perspective

cathedral of learning

arched doorway of the cathedral of learning

ornate architecture on cathedral of learning

Apart from Heinz Memorial Chapel’s vibrant and famous red doors, there is another reason this building may be recognizable—The University of Pittsburgh’s Lantern Night. It is one of the oldest traditions in which Pitt alumnae pass on the “Light of Learning” to Pitt’s newest students during a ceremony before the start of fall semester. Keeping in line with the values of the buildings founder, this symbolic act solidifies the importance of inclusivity in education.

Since Heinz Memorial Chapel was completed in 1934, various services have been held, but the chapel does not belong to any denomination. From its beginning the chapel was intended to be interdenominational adhering to the diverse makeup of students, staff, and the public.

Hayley Pontia is a student at The University of Pittsburgh who works as a freelancer for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Through this blog series, she will share her unique perspective on our historic building and the surrounding architecture of nearby buildings in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

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Architecture of Oakland–from a PITT student’s perspective

corner of the carnegie library with the cathedral of learning in the background

One of my favorite details of the library is the inscription above the main entrance: “Free to the People.” It is such a simple statement, but boldly stands above you as you enter creating a call for attention. Carnegie himself created this permanent advertisement that would appeal to any readers ears.

The structure itself was built in and is connected to Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Music Hall. It was created in modified Italian Renaissance style and is constructed of gray sandstone. The building has a frieze below the roofline that is inscribed with names of distinguished musicians, artists, authors, and scientists. Elmer E. Garnsey, who also decorated the Boston Public Library and the Library of Congress, decorated this library in Oakland.

Hayley Pontia is a student at The University of Pittsburgh who works as a freelancer for Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Through this blog series, she will share her unique perspective on our historic building and the surrounding architecture of nearby buildings in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

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Front Door Owls

Owl engraved on a metal door

by Patrick McShea

You have to know where to look to spot the owls on the front door of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Carriage Drive entrance.

Amid the bronze relief art work on each of two massive doors, a tiny owl perches atop a flaming oil lamp, symbolically marking the building as a place of wisdom and illumination.

The association of owls with wisdom dates at least to ancient Greece, where Athena, goddess of wisdom, favored the owl among all feathered creatures. Physical features might well have influenced Athena’s judgment, for an owl’s large round head and huge forward-facing eyes endow the creature with a human-like face.

Owl engraving on a metal door

These physical features, which are adaptations for nocturnal hunting, are available for close inspection at Discovery Basecamp, where an array of owl taxidermy mounts greets visitors.

Although the eyes of the taxidermy mounts are made of glass, their size, color, and placement accurately mimics the remarkable light-gathering structures of the living birds. The feathers of each mount are real, and those creating the flat facial disc of each owl are visually different than the surrounding plumage. The shape, stiffness, and placement of these feathers makes each owls face a satellite dish for gathering sound and transmitting it to the creature’s ears.

Display of taxidermy owls in Discovery Basecamp

Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.