The following provides descriptions, and in some cases photographs, of some of the major exhibits displayed at The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. A few of these exhibits were transferred to, and are now displayed in, The Carnegie Science Center. A few others remain in the Buhl Planetarium building.
Guide of 1987 July 27 to 31: Front (including building interior map) * Rear
50th Year Anniversary Guide - Summer, 1989: Front (including building interior map) * Rear
Buhl Planetarium Building Floor Plans and Technical Specifications
*
List of murals and exhibits in the Hall of the Universe
(From the Buhl Planetarium Annual Report, 1972-1973)
*
Photographs of some of the classic diorama and push-button exhibits in the Hall of the Universe.
Buhl Planetarium’s Hall
of the Universe included twenty-one classic, "push-button"
display-case exhibits (Astronomy: eighteen exhibits; Meteorology: three
exhibits). The following five Astronomy exhibits are documented as being in
Buhl Planetarium’ s, originally-titled, Hall
of Astronomy, on the date of building dedication, and hence, are the
property of the City of Pittsburgh:
a) Stars do Move
– Demonstrating
precession, with changes in the
star configuration of the Big Dipper over 200,000 years of time as an example.
b) Twin Stars – Showing movement of a binary star system.
c) Light Takes
Time to Travel – Regarding the speed of light.
d) Tycho Brahe’s
Mural Quadrant - Animated Diorama of Tycho Brahe's Observatory in
e) Observatory
of Hevelius at Danzig - Animated Diorama of Johannes Hevelius' Observatory in
*
Aurora Borealis: The Northern Lights
(6)
* Earth and Comet - from the Moon - (repainted in 1970 June):
Photo 1 (6) ***
Photo 2 ***
Photo 3
(5)
Lunar landscape with Halley's Comet passing the Earth.
*
Billions of Suns - Our Galaxy and Its Neighbors (6)
* Eclipse of the Moon
Total Lunar Eclipse, used by Christopher Columbus, to scare the natives of Jamaica to provide food and other provisions to his sailors.
* Eclipse of the Sun:
Photo 1 (6) ***
Photo 2
Depicts solar eclipse during the war between the Lydians and the Medes.
*
The Great Nebula in Orion (6)
Orion Nebula, visible during the reign of the Roman Empire.
* The Great Globular Star Cluster in Hercules
Star cluster that occurred during prehistoric times.
Note that these first seven murals were painted, using black-light paint, by Benjamin Byrer, a native of Canton, Ohio. After being displayed in the Hall of the Universe at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, from the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s, they were donated to the Hoover-Price Planetarium in Canton, Ohio in 1994.
* The Sun and Its Nine Planets: Photo 1 *** Photo 2 with Info
Unlike the seven other murals, "The Sun and Its Nine Planets" consisted of cardboard cut-outs of the nine planets mounted on the rear (north) wall of the Hall of the Universe, above a huge painting of a small portion of the Sun.
In the mid-1980s, Buhl Planetarium management decided to use the
Hall of the Universe for a
new thematic exhibit on light, perception, and optics. This was the first of a series of three major exhibitions. The other two:
* "Sounds Sensational" - Regarding sound, which was also displayed in the East Gallery and the western section of the Great Hall. For this exhibit, as well as the earlier second light and perception exhibit, the
Tesla Coil dismantled from its long-time location in the Great Hall and stored (not functional) in the southwest corner of the
Little Science Theater (this occurred in the mid-1980s) (the
Epideoscope was stored in the southeast corner of the Little Science Theater).
From time-to-time, Tesla Coil enthusiasts (often members of Tesla Coil clubs) would come to see Buhl Planetarium's Tesla Coil and were disappointed to see it in storage.
The Tesla Coil was restored to operation, in its original location in the western section of the Great Hall, about a year (1990) before the opening of The Carnegie Science Center (where plans were to display the Tesla Coil in "The Works Theater" on the fourth floor, along with the large
Van de Graaff electrostatic generator and other presentations on electricity); however, to prevent damage to computers and other sensitive electronic instruments now in Buhl Planetarium, a Faraday Cage was built to house the Tesla Coil.
* "The Right Moves" - Exhibited in the Octagon Gallery (not including the space used by the Computer Learning Lab; also a small environmental exhibit was displayed in the lobby, at the bottom of the stairs from the Mezzanine Gallery, of "The Right Moves" exhibit.). This exhibit included a "pitching cage," where the speed of pitched baseballs was measured by a radar-gun, and a stationary bicycle that used air, from pedaling, to raise a large "beachball." The Right Moves exhibit was installed about a year after
Duquesne Light Company technicians were directed to remove their long-time stationary bicycle exhibit (which used pedaling to light several light bulbs of different wattages) from the Mezzanine Gallery; Duquesne Light technicians were not happy to have to remove the exhibit from Buhl Planetarium.
The Hall of the Universe classic, push-button and diorama exhibits were permanently moved to the east and west Planetarium hallways (creating what could have been referred to as a "hallway of the universe") in the mid-1980s, to make-way for a new exhibit on light, perception, and opitcs. Hall of the Universe exhibits had been located in the east and west Planetarium hallways, from time-to-time, when the Hall of the Universe had been temporarily used for annual exhibitions such as the Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engieering Fair and the Tropical Fish Show. These exhibits derived electrical power from the "light-boxes" in the Planetarium hallway walls, which had displayed black-and-white photographic plates of astronomical photographs. Regrettably, the push-button and diorama exhibits blocked viewing these light-box photographs, of the east and west hallways.
The Sun and Its Nine Planets mural was dismantled. It is unknown what happened to the cardboard cut-outs of the planets (although they were seen in a Planetarium hallway storage closet, for a while). The partial painting of the Sun, on the wall, was simply painted-over.
The other seven murals were simply placed in storage (at first, in the upper rafters of the Octagon Gallery, just east of the steps leading to the Mezzanine). until they were given back to the artist, after the complete closing of the original Buhl Planetarium building (then used as a tutorial center, from 1991 to 1994, to teach Carnegie Science Center Science and Computer classes, called the Allegheny Square Annex of The Carnegie Science Center, until Science Center classes were consolidated into the new Science Center building and the original Buhl Planetarium building was abandoned in February of 1994) in 1994. The artist, Benjamin Byrer, then donated the murals to the Hoover-Price Planetarium in his native Canton, Ohio. These murals now hang in the Planetarium's Jane Williams Mahoney Mezzanine.
Originally, the rumor had been that these murals had been moved to the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia in Beckley, West Virginia. However, Kent State University Physics and Astronomy Professor Francis G. Graham [Founder of the American Lunar Society, who had been a long-time Planetarium Lecturer in the original Buhl Planetarium] found these murals when visiting the Canton planetarium.
Each year, Mr. Byrer also displayed his "Barnwood Paintings" in Buhl Planetarium's Mezzanine Gallery, at the entrance to the very popular annual exhibition of the Miniature Railroad and Village, displayed in the Bowdish Gallery from November through February.
Now, this new exhibit on light, perception, and optics in the Hall of the Universe, which was renamed the East Gallery, should not to be confused with the similar thematic exhibit, "Image/Imagination," which had been installed in the western section of the first floor's Great Hall a few years earlier, in 1983. Image/Imagination had replaced the colorful, backlit PPG Industries "Masterpieces in Glass" exhibit (which was given back to PPG, possibly for installation in their just-built 40-floor office tower Downtown), which had included a glass version of a Picasso masterpiece. Other exhibits in this area were moved elsewhere or placed in storage. The long-time PPG optical illution exhibit, "The Phantom Planet," was moved to be adjacent to Image/Imagination.
* Hoover-Price Planetarium, Canton, Ohio - New home of original Hall of the Universe murals.
* Photographs of the Hall of the Universe:
Weight Comparisons of Sun, Earth, and Moon
Photographs of exhibit:
Link 1 ***
Link 2
(5).
*
Description and other
information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8,
pages
24,
25,
26,
27,
51,
56, and
57.
* Description and other
information -
Aide's Book, Copy 25,
pages
16,
17,
18, and
19.
* Photograph of
Exhibits Staff offices, on temporary balcony erected in the East Gallery, during planning and construction of The Carnegie Science Center.
* See
"Theater of the Stars."
* See "The People's
Observatory."
* See
Telescope, Newtonian Non-usable Replica.
* See Astronomy Exhibits - Astronomical Observatory Transparencies.
* See Astronomy Exhibits - Mezzanine Paintings
* See Astronomy Exhibits - Planetarium Hallway (Hallway Wrapping Around Theater of the Stars).
* See Orrery of Solar System.
* See Radio Astronomy Exhibit.
* See
Astronomical Special Events at Buhl Planetarium
Each painting was displayed behind glass. Buhl management feared that humidity, inside the glass of each painting, could damage the paintings. Hence, until the mid-1980s, Floor Aides were assigned to log the temperature and relative humidity of the Mezzanine, several times a day. Units which combined a thermometer and a hygrometer were mounted in several places in the Buhl Planetarium building, including on the northern Mezzanine wall. Several times a day, a Floor Aide recorded the temperature and relative humidity readings on a special form, from each unit in the building.
* List of paintings mounted on the northern wall of Buhl Planetarium's Mezzanine Gallery.
In the east hallway, the light-boxes were imbedded into the east wall. These light-boxes still exist. They are being used by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh to simply display back-lighted one-color plates.
In the west hallway, the light-boxes were imbedded into the west wall. Both the east and west hallways were kept fairly dark, with small tube lights in the center of the hallways, to allow better viewing of these glass plate transparencies. The east and west hallways, each, also included three exit-only doors from the Planetarium Theater. In the east hallway, the three doors were located along the west wall at the northern end of the hallway near the two emergency-exit doors to outside (and staff entrance with a door-bell).
Directly across from the Theater exit doors in the east hallway were two entrance/exit doors to the Hall of the Universe. Mounted on the wall, between the Hall of the Universe doors and the emergency-exit doors to outside, was the electronic security system entrance station (Sonitrol security company), installed in the Spring of 1983. Once the security system was installed, it was activated (i.e, no staff in the building) each day from Midnight until 7:00 in the morning (perhaps a little later on Sundays). Previously, there was always, at least, one person in the building (usually custodians late at night) every day of the year (including Christmas Day, the one day of the year Buhl Planetarium was closed to the public). The author staffed the building, alone, for security reasons for several hours on Christmas Day in 1982 and New Year's Day in 1983.
In the west hallway, the three Theater exit doors were located along the east wall at the northern end of the hallway near the two emergency-exit doors to outside.
The south hallway, which included the three metal entrance doors, each with large glass windows (covered inside the doors with shades), to the Theater of the Stars, had two extra-large light-boxes with astronomical glass-plate transparencies on each side of the entrance doors.
From Buhl Planetarium's opening in 1939, until 1985, all of these glass-plate transparency photograph displays were monochrome (i.e. black-and-white) photographs. In 1985, in anticipation of huge crowds for the telescopic viewings (as well as special planetarium show and exhibit) of the 1985-1986 apparition of Halley's Comet, the transparencies in the four extra-large light-boxes, in the south hallway, were replaced with newer color photographs.
At certain times, over the years, the glass-plate transparencies, in the east and west planetarium hallways, were not displayed. This occurred whenever other exhibits were displayed in these hallways, including the multi-paneled NASA exhibit in the 1960s and 1970s, and also when the classic Hall of the Universe display-case exhibits were moved from the Hall of the Universe into these two hallways. These exhibits required electricity, so the Buhl maintenance staff used the electricity from the transparency light-boxes to power the exhibits; hence, these exhibits were always displayed on the same side as the transparency light-boxes.
The classic display-case exhibits, from the Hall of the Universe, were moved into these two hallways, whenever the Hall of the Universe was used for special exhibits or programs. This included in the Spring, during the annual Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair, until the 1980s when the Science Fair was publicly displayed at the gymnasium of the Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny Campus (located a few blocks west of Buhl Planetarium), during the college's annual Spring break. The exhibits were moved to the two hallways permanently, when it was decided to transform the East Gallery into an exhibit on the science of light and perception. A few years later, a temporary balcony deck was constructed over most of the East Gallery, to house offices for staff members planning the construction of The Carnegie Science Center.
The following links are to some of the glass-plate transparencies used in the Planetarium hallway light-boxes:
*
Total Eclipse of the Sun
(5).
*
Photograph of the Moon
(5) taken through the the
famous 100-inch Hooker Reflector Telescope, used by
Edwin Hubble to discover the general
expansion of the Universe
at
Mount Wilson Observatory in southern California.
*
Craters on the Moon
(5).
*
Head of Halley's Comet, as viewed in 1910
(5).
* Halley's Comet
(5).
*
Several Views of Planet Saturn
(5).
*
Constellation Orion the Hunter
(5).
*
Whirlpool Galaxy
(5).
*
Horsehead Nebula
(5).
*
Coalsack Dark Nebula
(5)
The Hall of the Universe classic, push-button and diorama exhibits were permanently moved to the east and west Planetarium hallways (creating what could have been referred to as a "hallway of the universe") in the mid-1980s, to make-way for a new exhibit on light, perception, and opitcs. Hall of the Universe exhibits had been located in the east and west Planetarium hallways, from time-to-time, when the Hall of the Universe had been temporarily used for annual exhibitions such as the Pittsburgh Regional School .
Science and Engieering Fair and the Tropical Fish Show. These exhibits derived electrical power from the "light-boxes" in the Planetarium hallway walls, which had displayed black-and-white photographic plates of astronomical photographs. Regrettably, the push-button and diorama exhibits blocked viewing these light-box photographs, of the east and west hallways.
During the 1960s and 1970s, a NASA-sponsored exhibit, describing the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned space missions, was mounted in the east and west Planetarium hallways--again, being lighted by using electricity from the light-boxes and blocking the transparency light-boxes.
Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3 *** Link 4
* Photograph of the scale-model of the ancient Library at Alexandria, Egypt (5) as displayed in the Buhl Planetarium exhibit. Carl Sagan discussed the Library at Alexandria during the first episode (titled "The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean") of the television series.
Eclipse of the Sun / Solar Eclipse: Tips For Safe Viewing
This exhibit was sponsored by PPG Industries Incorporated, which removed all of these masterpieces in 1979 or 1982. It is believed that these masterpieces were later used in the PPG Place Tower and office complex, constructed near Market Square in 1984.
Gemmaux masterpieces included titles such as "La Petite Corbeille," "La Petite Aquarium," "Bouquet," "Voiles Heureceuses," and "Orphee Aux Feuillages."
* Description and other information - Aide's Reference Manual, 1983 February 28, pages 20, 21, and 22.
* Photographs of entrance to Image/Imagination:
**
Entrance shown in bottom of photo; large
Mercator's Projection World Map shown above.
**
Entrance shown extreme right of photo; Discovery Gift Shop shown in center of photo.
Image/Imagination was installed as a permanent exihibit in 1983, after the successful run of an Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) traveling exhibit, from the Exploratorium in San Francisco, called "Looking at The Light," which was viewed in Buhl Planetarium's Octagon Gallery in January and February of 1982.
The Image/Imagination Exhibit included a "Shadow Wall," a phosphorescent wall where visitors' shadows would be stored, for a short time, after a flash of light produced the shadow on the wall. Three light sources each used a different primary color (red, yellow, blue); the overlapping of color light sources produced additional colors. Buhl's "Shadow Wall," installed with the rest of the Image/Imagination exhibit in June of 1983, was one of the first such permanent, phosphorescence museum exhibits. The "Shadow Wall" had previously been shown at Buhl Planetarium during the "Looking at The Light," traveling exhibit in 1982. According to a Children's Museum Professionals electronic mail group message written by Paul Orselli on 2010 September 29, the very first "Shadow Wall" was installed in the Ontario Science Centre in the early 1970s.
Image/Imagination should not be confused with a second light and perception exhibit exhibited in the mid-1980s.
In addition to the original modules of "Image/Imagination," one earlier exhibit was incorporated as an additional module of "Image/Imagination." "The Phantom Planet" consisted of a parabolic mirror and a light source, in such a configuration in a large box thus that it appeared that the image of a "planet' (i.e. small ball made to look like a planet) was suspended in mid-air. Children would try to grab the "planet," but find that their fingers went right through the image. Then, they could look down into the box to see the actual object ("planet").
"Image/Imagination" was funded by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. "The Phantom Planet" had been funded by the PPG Industries Foundation.
For decades (1950s to 1994), a classic, display-case exhibit showing the planet Mars was displayed in the Hall of the Universe of the original Buhl Planetarium. This exhibit showed the topography of Mars, as determined by telescopic images of Mars taken in the 1950s.
Two weight scales at the original Buhl Planetarium helped visitors determine what they would weigh on Mars: Fairbanks-Morse Planetary Weight Scale (in addition to Mars, visitors could determine their weight on Earth, Earth's Moon, and Venus on this scale); Toledo Planetary Weight Scale (three additional Toledo scales allowed visitors to determine their weight on Earth, the Moon, and Jupiter). The historic Fairbanks-Morse scale (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) continues to be available to the public in the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium Lobby on the second floor of The Carnegie Science Center.
From time-to-time, the Buhl Planetarium sky show performance, in the original Theater of the Stars, would be about Mars. This includes a show titled, “The Red Planet Mars” in April of 1988, ahead of the Perihelic Opposition of Mars on 1988 September 28 (closest approach to Earth: 1988 September 22). The historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector (Property of the City of Pittsburgh), which presented all planetarium sky shows from 1939 to 1991, is now on static display in the Space Place exhibit in The Carnegie Science Center's first-floor Atrium Gallery.
“Mars in 3-D”, a popular motion picture produced by NASA, was often shown to the general public in Buhl Planetarium's Little Science Theater (250-seat Lecture Hall); each visitor attending the film was given a pair of 3-D glasses to view the production. This 1979 film included 3-D images of Mars, taken by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 spacecraft, beginning in the Summer of 1976.
Mars was often the featured object shown to the public, particularly when Mars was close to Earth, in the original Buhl Planetarium Astronomical Observatory. Buhl's Astronomical Observatory was open for public observing every Friday evening 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), weather-permitting, year-round---also, some Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, weather-permitting, during the months of November through February (except the evenings of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when the building was closed) each year.
The Carnegie Science Center opened a new exhibit about the planet Mars, titled Mars: The Next Giant Leap on Saturday, 2022 November 19. In addition to the opening of this exhibit on November 19, November 19 also marked the 81st anniversary (Wednesday Evening, 1941 November 19) of the Astronomical Observatory at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. The Astronomical Observatory's primary instrument was a rather unique, and now historic, 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope (Property of the City of Pittsburgh).
*
Meteorites Displayed in
Hall of the Universe:
Link 1 ***
Link 2
(5).
Diorama, at the entrance to the
Hall of the Universe, which displayed large meteorite and two smaller meteorites, all from the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. Later, the large meteorite was displayed outside of the diorama, so visitors could touch it; the two smaller meteorites were placed in storage.
**
Description and other information
**
Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona and Geologist
Daniel Barringer.
** Photographs
of largest Buhl meteorite specimen, from Barringer Meteor Crater, in the lobby of the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium at The Carnegie Science Center:
Link 1 ***
Link 2 (2022 Nov.) ***
Link 3 (2023 Feb.) ***
Link 4 (2023 Feb.) ***
Link 5 (in background, behind Antarctic meteorite - 2022 Nov.) ***
Link 6 (in background, behind Antarctic meteorite - 2023 Feb.)
* Other meteorite specimens from the original Buhl Planetarium collection (all meteorites and meteorite speciments in the original Buhl Planetarium collection are the legal property of the City of Pittsburgh):
**
Image of a slice of the Merkoup Meteorite
(5), from Namibia, which was also in the Buhl Planetarium meteorite collection; now in the collection of The Carnegie Science Center.
** The following two photographs were provided by Francis G. Graham, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Kent State University, from his attendance at the annual Astronomy Weekend of The Carnegie Science Center, 2012 March 24 and 25:
*** Professor Graham poses with the Merkoup Meteorite
(5)
now known to be part of the Gibeon Meteorite.
*** Photograph of other meteorites from the original Buhl Planetarium collection
(5).
On the left is a Canyon Diabolo Meteorite; directly to the right is an unnamed whole meteorite; behind the unnamed meteorite is a slice of the Gibeon Meteorite.
*
Other Meteorites (not part of the original Buhl Planetarium collection) displayed in
the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems of The Carnegie Museum of Natural
History.
* Meteorite found in Antarctica by University of Pittsburgh Professor William Cassidy, now on display in Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium Lobby, The Carnegie Science Center.
* More Details on Meteor Crater: Link 1 * Link 2 * Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
The Carnegie Science Center did not propose moving the mural to the new Science Center building {as they proposed for the other three artifacts}. Actually, this is the second time that the Science Center management decided not to display this mural in the new Science Center building. When the new Science Center building was being constructed, it was decided to leave the mural in the original Buhl Planetarium building, which was then planned to be used as a tutorial center (and retitled "Carnegie Science Center, Allegheny Square Annex"), home to the Science Center's Science and Computer classes (as the new building, originally, was built without classroom space). One Buhl Planetarium visitor was quite upset when she learned that the Nat Youngblood mural would not be moved to the new building; she made her displeasure known to Science Center management. However, Science Center Director Alphonse DeSena felt (and he said so) that if this woman wanted the mural moved to the new Science Center building so badly, she should pay for it, or find funding to pay for such a move.
Through an agreement with the City of Pittsburgh (legal owner of this mural), two sections of this mural were one of the highlights on display (for three months, beginning 2005 March 11, each Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; suggested donation was three dollars per adult) in the new "Reel Steel" exhibit, in the third floor exhibit gallery of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area / Museum's Bost Building in Homestead, Pennsylvania (a suburb just south of Pittsburgh, across the Monongahela River from the City neighborhoods of Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, Duck Hollow, and the new neighborhood of Summerset at Frick Park). In an agreement with the City of Pittsburgh, it is being preserved by the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area until it can be fully restored.
Also, seats from the Buhl Planetarium's Theater of the Stars (removed from Buhl Planetarium in 2002, at the beginning of the Children's Museum renovation project) are used in this third floor exhibit gallery, for films and cartoons (starring characters such as Donald Duck and Joe Magarac) regarding the history of the steel industry.
On Friday Afternoon, 2015 January 30, Morton Brown, Public Art Manager for the Department of City Planning of the City of Pittsburgh, contacted the author (Glenn A. Walsh), via electronic mail, regarding the Rise of Steel Technology mural. At that time, the U.S. Steel Corporation was considering the construction of a new headquarters building on the former Civic Arena site on the Lower Hill. As part of the new building, U.S. Steel was going to include a museum on the history of the corporation. As such, there was an interest in including the Rise of Steel Technology mural as part of the museum. Mr. Morton contacted the author to learn of the status of the mural.
Mr. Walsh replied to Mr. Morton that the mural was currently being stored by the Rivers of Steel organization. Mr. Morton thanked Mr. Walsh for the information and indicated that he would contact Rivers of Steel regarding the mural.
However, on 2015 November 5, U.S. Steel decided against building a new headquarters building on Pittsburgh's Lower Hill, as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins' $440 million redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site, due to the corporation's financial problems. Apparently, the Rivers of Steel organization continues storing the Rise of Steel Technology mural, under a legal Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Pittsburgh.
"Mural for Planetarium Painted by Indian WAC."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 1944 Oct. 9: 13.
(Scroll above the article to see a photograph, with caption, of WAC Corporal Eva Mirabel and a small portion of the mural.)
* World War II paratroopers mural was replaced, in the early 1960s, by murals of two early satellites launched into Earth orbit.
Most of the NASA exhibit modules were displayed in the hallways around the Theater of the Stars. Using electricity from the transparency boxes along the Planetarium Hallway walls, these astronomical photograph transparencies were not viewable during the several years the NASA exhibits were on display. These exhibit modules included scale-versions of Mercury and Gemini space capsules, as well as a life-sized replica of a Gemini astronaut space suit.
Additionally, a "NASA Man on the Moon" Exhibit was displayed in the first floor's Great Hall; this included scale-models of the Apollo Command Module and the Apollo-Saturn 5 launch vehicle. In the Spring of 1970, the Moon rock was displayed in the Great Hall, near the entrance to the building. In the Summer of 1989, the Moon rock was displayed in the East Gallery (formerly the Hall of the Universe).
* Photographs of the "NASA Man on the Moon" exhibit, showing the location, on the Moon, of the landing site of Apollo 11:
In the Spring of 1970, one of these Moon rocks was displayed at the entrance of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science; a security guard accompanied this Moon rock at all times. In August of 1970 or 1971, South Hills Pittsburgh Congressman James G. Fulton (a strong proponent of the NASA Space Program) arranged to have a Moon Rock displayed at the then-annual Allegheny County Fair (the Allegheny County Fair was held annually in August from 1932 through 1973) at the Allegheny County Fairgrounds in South Park. Early in 1989, a Moon rock was displayed in the former bank vault of the Union Trust Company, in the first Union Trust Building located in what is now Pittsburgh's Historic Fourth Avenue Financial District; this building is now used (and was used at the time of the Moon rock display) as the headquarters of the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the first crewed Moon landing, Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center) arranged to display a Moon rock in the Summer of 1989. This time, the Moon rock was displayed in the East Gallery (formerly, Hall of the Universe). Instead of an official security guard, a member of the Buhl Floor Staff was required to always be with the Moon rock while it was on public display. Additionally, a specially-designed display-kiosk was used to display the Moon rock; this kiosk had pressure sensors such that unauthorized removal of the Moon rock would set-off an alarm. When the building was closed to the public, the Moon rock was removed from the display-kiosk and stored in the Buhl vault, in the second-floor offices.
Former Buhl Floor Operations Manager Eric G. Canali moved the Moon rock to the Buhl safe-vault on most evenings. In his blog, he wrote the following:
As Floor Operations Manager at Buhl Planetarium, I had the responsibility (privilege) of taking out and returning the visiting Moon rock to our safe-vault every day. The cast plexi pyramid carried a chunk of lunar rock about the size of a child's fist. To my knowledge this was the largest lunar sample ever to go on public display in the Pittsburgh area.
Another Moon Rock (Lunar Sample #15499) was placed on display on the second floor of The Carnegie Science Center near the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium, in conjunction with the newly-opened, semi-permanent exhibit: "Mars: The Next Giant Leap", for at least five years beginning in December of 2022.
NASA also displays a Moon Rock in an educational exhibit trailer operated by the NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland. This exhibit trailer was part of the NASA Village during "Total Eclipse Fest 2024", the special event co-sponsored by the Great Lakes Science Center and the NASA Visitors' Center when the Total Solar Eclipse of Monday, 2024 April 8 passed directly over Downtown Cleveland.
This painting of Halley's Comet was purchased in England by
Willard F. Rockwell, Jr., then Founder and Chairman of the fairly new Pittsburgh-based (Two Chatham Center) aerospace corporation called Astrotech International; Mr. Rockwell had formerly been Chairman of Rockwell International which was based in Pittsburgh for many years (50th floor of the U.S. Steel Building, after several years in the 24-floor North American Rockwell Building at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street--originally the Farmers' National Bank Building--which was later demolished for construction of a four-floor Lazarus Department Store), until the 1990s.
Willard F. Rockwell, Jr. found this painting in England in 1985 (at the time of the 1985-1986 passing of
Halley's Comet through the inner Solar System). He was so impressed with the painting, he bought it with the intention of donating it to Buhl Planetarium. And, so he did; in fact, it was transported to Buhl Planetarium in Mr. Rockewll's limousine !
However, this painting did not appeal to the management of Buhl Planetarium. Of course, they were not going to reject such a generous gift, particularly from a corporate leader who headed a local aerospace firm. So, they instructed Jane Werner (who would become Head of the Exhibits Department in 1987 January; in 2004, she was Executive Director of the Children's Museum, when that museum began utilizing the Buhl Planetarium building) to mount the painting on the east wall of the Little Science Theater/Lecture Hall, apparently where most members of management would not have to see it on a regular basis! It was purposely forgotten, when the Science Center management moved to The Carnegie Science Center in 1991. So, it remained in the Little Science Theater until the Children's Museum renovated that space into a new exhibit gallery in 2004.
When the City of Pittsburgh took an inventory of their Buhl Planetarium assets, on 2002 January 23, this was inventoried as "Asset #21 Painting Comet" with "Photo #19 [original photograph: 453x353x16M jpeg]" on Page 22 of the "Buhl Planetaruim Assets" inventory book.
The Foucault Pendulum is one of the original exhibits [and, was one of Buhl's "talking exhibits"] in
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, on display when the building and all contents were dedicated and gifted to the
City of Pittsburgh by the Buhl Foundation on 1939 October 24. The steel pendulum wire was fabricated at the Jones and Laughlin Steel Works on the South Side. To ensure there would be no bias in the swing of the pendulum, this long wire was transported from the South Side Works to Buhl Planetarium completely straight, with no bends or curves in the wire. A special truck permit had to be secured from the city, to allow this specially-long load to travel over city streets, to reach Buhl Planetarium.
A
small wooden model of the Foucault Pendulum was often displayed on a special mounting, attached to the Pendulum Pit brass railing. When not in use, this model was kept in the electrical closet, where circuit-breakers for the Great Hall were located. Floor staff members would use this model to clearly demonstrate how the Foucault Pedulum shows the rotation of the Earth. This wooden model was originally built as a student project, displayed in Buhl Planetarium's
Science Fair in 1951.
It continued on display to the public until the building closed as a public museum on 1991 August 31. However, as the Buhl Planetarium building continued to be utilized for the Science and Computer classes of
The Carnegie Science Center, the Foucault Pendulum continued on display to the students of these classes and their families until the building was completely closed in February of 1994.
In the mid-1990s, the Foucault Pendulum was placed on public display in a new Pendulum exhibit, in the eastern section of the second floor of
The Carnegie Science Center; the original Pendulum Pit remained at Buhl Planetarium. In October of 2002, the Foucault Pendulum was returned to the Great Hall of Buhl Planetarium. The Foucault Pendulum resumed public display, surrounded by a traveling exhibit entitled, "Can You Tell Me How To Get to Sesame Street?", on 2003 February 15, under the auspices of the
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.
Famous French physicist
Jean Bernard Leon Foucault developed the
Foucault Pendulum in 1851. Foucault also developed the siderostat-type telescope, the primary instrument of
The People's Observatory, Buhl Planetarium's Astronomical Observatory.
* Images at
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science:
Painting - Comet Halley (Property of the City of Pittsburgh):
Image 1 ***
Image 2 ***
Image 3
Pendulum - Foucault Pendulum (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - The Foucault Pendulum provides a classic demonstration that the Earth rotates on its axis. Contained within a beautiful brass and marble Pendulum Pit, the true cardinal points of the compass are displayed below the swing of the Pendulum.
* Photographs while on display at
The Carnegie Science Center: Photo 1 ***
Photo
2
*
Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8,
pages
15,
51, and
56.
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 25,
pages
11,
12, and
13.
*
Biographies of Jean Bernard Leon Foucault By
Dr. William Tobin,
Senior Lecturer, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand:
McMonagle, Haley.
"Buhl Planetarium’s pioneering past."
The Northside Chronicle, Pittsburgh 2020 Jan. 1. First retrieved 2020 Feb. 13.
Editor's Note: The author of this Northside Chronicle article, Haley McMonagle, is the granddaughter of a former
Buhl Planetarium Floor Aide, Dewitt Peart, who is interviewed in this article (also includes a 1950s photograph of Dewitt Peart
explaining the Foucault Pendulum to a Cub Scout group).
Benningfield, Damond.
"Foucault and Fizeau." Radio Program Star Date Script & Audio.
StarDate.com 2019 Sept. 18. 1st retrieved 2019 Sept. 18.
2019 September 18 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Leon Foucault, who invented the Foucault Pendulum.
Quinn, Sally.
"The final frontier? With these 10 cool ways kids can explore space in Pittsburgh, it’s just the beginning."
NextPittsburgh.com 2018 Oct. 24.
Includes photographs and information regarding the historic
Foucault Pendulum and
Zeiss II Planetarium Projector of the original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Buhl Planetarium Poem by Ann Curran." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 May 3.
Poem "At the Late Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science," written by Pittsburgh Poet and
former Buhl Planetarium employee Ann Curran, who held a poetry reading at the Main Branch of
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on 2012 April 15.
Foucault Pendulum remembrance in poem.
Madrigal, Alexis.
"Foucault’s Pendulum Dented in Museum Mishap."
Wired Magazine On-Line 2010 May 18.
Regarding snapping of Foucault Pendulum cable at Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
Williams, Candy.
"Children's Museum celebrates return of pendulum."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2005 February 22.
Thomas, Lillian.
"Foucault pendulum helps us get the drift of Earth's spin."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2005 February 21.
The exhibit first opened at Buhl Planetarium on 1980 March 19. For that first fiscal year of display to the public (1980 March 19 to June 30), 40,463 visitors viewed the exhibit. The exhibit continued through the mid-1980s, when many changes were made to the exhibitry in the Great Hall.
* More on the Radio Astronomy Exhibit.
The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair at The Carnegie Science Center began as the Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the Spring of 1940. This Science Fair is now the third oldest such competition in the country and the oldest regional science fair in the country (the two older science fairs are state-wide competitions). Students, grades 6 to 12, in 23 counties (previously 22) in Western Pennsylvania, 3 counties in northern West Virginia, and Garrett County in western Maryland (Garrett County is a recent addition) are eligible to apply to participate in this science fair.
* Brief Description
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8,
page
83
*
Photographs from 1955 Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair
*
Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair at
The Carnegie Science Center
*
Sara A. Majetich, Professor of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, participated in the Buhl Planetarium Science Fair while a student at the Fox Chapel High School.
*
Peter Ryckman - Multiple Award Winner (Including First Prize in Engineering and Best of Show !) from the 1960 Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
*
Bob Mangola and
Glenn A. Walsh, while eighth grade students at the Shaler Junior High School of the Shaler Township School District, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, submitted a science project, regarding climate, for the Buhl Planetarium Science Fair in the Spring of 1970; the project received no prize (the awards ceremony was held in the auditorium of the nearby Allegheny High School; at this time, a
Moon rock was on display at Buhl Planetarium). However, some years earlier,
Glenn A. Walsh, while in fifth grade, won an Honorable Mention (awarded after a reconsideration) for a school science fair project, a clay model of the ancient Stonehenge astronomical observatory, while attending DeHaven Elementary School, of the Shaler Township School District, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania.
"Science Fair coming to Science Center."
Observer-Reporter, Washington PA 2019 Sept. 29.
For the first time in its 81-year history, the Covestro Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair (PRSEF) will
happen at the Carnegie Science Center.
It will be held March 25. That day, more than 900 middle and high school students from across the region will compete
for scholarships and cash prizes as they present their science, math and engineering projects.
The fair has been held in several Pittsburgh locations through the years, including the Buhl Planetarium [through the 1960s and much of the 1970s],
Duquesne University, LaRoche University, Brashear High School and Heinz Field [also the Gymnasium of the
Allegheny Campus of the Community College of Allegheny County during the 1980s and early 1990s]. After an
extensive analysis, the Science Center determined that the addition of the PPG Science Pavilion provides the space
required to host the competition.
The science and engineering fair has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1940. It is the third oldest science fair in the
United States under the affiliation of Society for Science & The Public.
Each fall, teachers in 21 counties in Western Pennsylvania and Garrett County, Md., introduce PRSEF as an
extracurricular activity or as part of their academic program. Students in grades six to 12 select a scientific or
engineering project from one of 21 categories, and their research plans are reviewed by the Covestro PRSEF Scientific
Review Committee to guarantee that proper scientific procedures will be followed. During the competition, judges
interview students using the Socratic method to ensure they have a deep understanding of their project and a creative
approach to their research design.
School and teacher registration for PRSEF begins Tuesday, and student registration begins Nov. 1. For information go
online to PittsburghScienceFair.org.
"BRINGING THE SCIENCE FAIR HOME: SCIENCE CENTER WILL HOST COVESTRO PITTSBURGH REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR IN 2020." News Release.
The Carnegie Science Center 2019 Sept. 18. First retrieved 2020 Feb. 24.
Brookshire, Bethany.
"Robots and ‘green energy’ win the day at Intel ISEF."
ScienceNewsforStudents.org 2018 May 18.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Maybe it took nerves of steel. Or maybe these young researchers merely showed steely determination. But dozens conquered the odds, here in Steel City, to claim big prizes. Roughly 1,790 students competed, this week, for almost $5 million in prizes in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). And about 35 in every 100 of the finalists would go home with some award.
Lohr, Steve.
"Intel Drops Its Sponsorship of Science Fairs, Prompting an Identity Crisis."
The New York Times 2017 Feb. 14.
And Intel is committed to supporting the International Science and Engineering Fair until 2019.
*
"CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF PITTSBURGH REGIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR." News Release.
Carnegie Science Center 2014 March 29.
This year's competition was the 75th annual science and engineering fair, the third oldest in the country as well as the oldest regional science fair in the country (the two older science fairs are state-wide competitons).
The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair at The Carnegie Science Center began as the Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the Spring of 1940.
*
"CALLING ALL SCIENCE FAIR ALUMNI - HELP CELEBRATE 75 YEARS OF SCIENCE!
"PITTSBURGH REGIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR TO HOLD 75TH COMPETITION." News Release.
Carnegie Science Center 2014 March 4.
The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair at The Carnegie Science Center began as the Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the Spring of 1940.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"'Video: Girl Sends 'Hello Kitty' Doll Into Space in Balloon." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2013 Feb. 11.
Lauren Rojas of Antioch, California sent her Hello Kitty doll more than 90,000 feet into space for a school science fair project.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"'How to' Science Fair Project Video Series from NASA." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 Dec. 22.
The
Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair, the third oldest Science Fair in the United States (the oldest regional Science Fair in a major metropolitan area; the two older fairs are state-wide fairs), originated at Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in the Spring of 1940.
* Arbogast, Sarah.
"Students Come From Near, Far To Compete In Science & Engineering Fair."
KDKA-TV 2 2012 May 17.
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair occurred at Pittsburgh's David Lawrence Convention Center. The last time the International Science and Engineering Fair was in Pittsburgh was in May of 1989, for the 40th Intenational Fair, in commemoration of the 50th Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair and the 50th anniversary of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"Buhl Planetarium Poem by Ann Curran." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 May 3.
Poem "At the Late Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science," written by Pittsburgh Poet and
former Buhl Planetarium employee Ann Curran, who held a poetry reading at the Main Branch of
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on 2012 April 15.
Science Fair remembrance in poem.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"Buhl Science Fair Alumnus Wins CSC Award." Electronic Mail-Group Message.
South Hills Backyard Astronomers 2011 Feb. 3.
"Majetich Receives Carnegie Science Center Award." News Release.
Carnegie Mellon University 2011 Feb. 4.
Daly, Jill.
"Carnegie Science Awards announced."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette On-Line 2011 Feb. 3.
Includes award: Emerging Female Scientist --
Sara A. Majetich,
Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Majetich listed herself as an
alumnus of the
Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair,
of Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science,
for the 1989 publication:
"Lives Touched...Worlds Changed," Fifty Years of Alumni Achievements.
News Articles Regarding Carnegie Science Center Awards Ceremony Keynote Address:
Brandolph, Adam.
"As cost falls, final frontier will open."
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 2011 May 7.
Sheridan, Patricia.
"Patricia Sheridan's Breakfast With ... Anousheh Ansari."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2011 May 2.
* 1989 May - Pittsburgh: 40th
International Science and Engineering Fair
In Pittsburgh to commemorate the 50th
Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engieering Fair and the 50th anniversary of Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (1939 to 1991).
Glenn A. Walsh (who, at the time, was
Buhl Planetarium Astronomical Observatory Coordinator and
Planetarium Lecturer) and
John D. Weinhold (who, now deceased, at the time was a
Buhl Planetarium Observatory Volunteer), both of whom later helped form the Steering Committee of
Friends of the Zeiss, assisted with the International Science and Engineering Fair as volunteers.
In fact, up until the mid-1980s, Pittsburgh was the third largest corporate headquarters city in the nation (behind New York City and Chicago, respectively). Pittsburgh continues to rank in the top ten for corporate headquarters, often within the top five.
And, with so many corporate headquarters, Pittsburgh was one of the leaders in the number of corporate research and development (R&D) laboratories, including R&D labs for Gulf Oil (now operated by the University of Pittsburgh), PPG Industries (originally Pittsburgh Plate Glass, including Pittsburgh Paints), U.S. Steel, Fisher Scientific, and Westinghouse. Additionally, Mellon Institute of Industrial Research was an independent center for corporate and industrial research, until it merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology to form Carnegie-Mellon Universisty in 1967. Today, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt are world renowned research universities.
*
Web page includes list of exhibit modules included in Buhl Planetarium's "Science Serves Industry" Exhibit Series.
*
Photograph of "How Atomic Fission Generates Heat" exhibit module
(5), sponsored by the Westinghouse Electric Company.
* A non-working replica, of the
Westinghouse Black-and-White Television Camera used on the Moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission, was displayed for several decades in Buhl Planetarium ---
** 1960s to mid-1980s: Classic display-case exhibit in the Great Hall of Buhl Planetarium.
** MId-1980s to early 1990s: Behind large glass windows in Buhl Planetarium's Third Floor Astronomical Observatory.
Spray, Aaron.
"Going Under: Here Are 10 Of The Best Submarine Museums In The US."
TheTravel.com 2023 Aug. 13. First retrieved 2023 Aug. 14.
The Travel.com rates USS Requin 3rd best submarine museum in USA ! After moving to Pittsburgh from Tampa in 1990 August, the USS Requin submarine museum was operated by the Buhl Science Center until The Carnegie Science Center opened 1991 October 5.
Stationary Bicycle (Duquesne Light Company) - For decades [until
The Right Moves exhibit (which included a new stationary bicycle which used forced-air to lift a ball) opened in the Octagon Gallery in the mid-1980s] on the western side of Buhl Planetarium's Mezzanine Exhibit Gallery, the Duquesne Light Company sponsored an exhibit whereby people would pedal a stationary bicycle which would light-up progressively stronger light bulbs, as more human energy was used to pedal the bicycle.
YouTube Video showing WIIC-TV 11 broadcaster Ray Stewart demonstrating the Duquesne Light Stationary Bicycle on the Mezzanine of Buhl Planetarium on 1963 July 26 - for program "Magic Carpet" (program aired on channel 11 from 1961 to 1963) produced by Ray Stewart for WIIC-TV 11 (now known as WPXI-TV), Pittsburgh.
During most of the 1980s and early 1990s, the Buhl Science Center ("modernized" name for The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, used from 1982 February through 1991 August) held a major celebration, on the day of the Summer Solstice (the first official day of Summer: June 21), both inside the building and on the Allegheny Square Plaza outside of the building. Beginning in 1985, this "Solstice Day" event was the one day of the year when admission, into the Buhl Science Center (including Buhl Planetarium shows and all exhibits and programs), was free-of-charge to the public.
Actually, admission to the building during the first year of this event was free-of-charge, when the visitor attended bringing with them a real snowball! During the Winter months, Buhl asked people to save one or more snowballs in their freezer and then bring the snowball(s) to Buhl on June 21 for free admission to the event and Science Center. The promotion was quite successful, with quite a few people bringing snowballs to Buhl Science Center on the day of the Summer Solstice. As several events, during the day, were held outside of the building, of course these events were free-of-charge to everyone, regardless of whether they had brought with them a snowball.
In subsequent years, admission to the building for this event was free-of-charge for everyone, as the Summer Solstice became Buhl Science Center's one free day of the year. Even after a snowball was not required for free admission on June 21, several people continued bringing snowballs on "Solstice Day."
One of the fun events, on the Allegheny Square Plaza just outside of Buhl's front doors, was the weighing and determining the scientific composition of the snowballs:
*
Link to Photograph: Buhl Science Center Public Relations Director
Caroljo "Jo" Lee, now Caroljo Lee Henderson, (left) weighing a patron's snowball, in front of Buhl Planetarium (Allegheny Square Plaza), on 1985 June 21, assisted by new Buhl Science Center volunteer
Dr. Carol A. Tomczyk (right).
*
More on the first snowball activities at Buhl Science Center on Summer "Solstice Day" 1985
* Photographs from the exhibit and demonstrations of the Tripoli Rocketry Association, at Buhl Science Center's Summer Solstice Day events in 1983 and 1984:
**
Barton Paul Levenson (successful science fiction author in Pittsburgh and former President of the Tripoli Rocketry Association) stands beside a model rocket to be launched outside of Buhl Science Center (in the field behind the Old Allegheny Post Office)
(5).
** Two rockets being prepared for launch
(5).
**
Tripoli Rocketry Association exhibit in Buhl Science Center's Great Hall, 1983 June 21
(5).
**
Display of Tripoli Rocketry Association rockets in front of Buhl Science Center (Allegheny Square Plaza), 1984 June 21
(5).
Beginning in 2007, The Carnegie Science Center decided to reuse this original Buhl Science Center promotion. Click here to learn more about The Carnegie Science Center's resumption of the original Buhl Science Center "Snowballs on Summer Solstice Day" tradition.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Snowballs on the First Day of Summer!" Blog-Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2015 June 21.
"SPLASH! Kick Off to Summer Community Free Day - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh." Web Page Notice
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh 2014 June 21.
Sponsored by the Jack Buncher Foundation.
Summer Solstice Day free event, including the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science building (which held free Summer Solstice Day events in the 1980s and early 1990s), put on by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.
A special state-of-the-art (in 1939) Sound Room [across the Planetarium Hallway from the Planetarium Sound Room] included turntables which would play a special record, which would explain the exhibit, at the press of a button by the visitor. The sound came from a speaker at or near the exhibit. The Foucault Pendulum talking exhibit speaker, no longer in use, can still be seen in the Pendulum Pit--the last vestige of the Buhl Planetarium "talking exhibits."
By the 1960s, this system of talking exhibits was obsolete and no longer used. This Sound Room became another storage room. In the mid-1980s (prior to May of 1988), the author found two older exhibits, both non-usable replicas of historic telescopes, in this storage room. Although the turntables for vinyl records, for the original "talking exhibits," were long-gone from this Sound Room, the vintage-1939 power-strip of electrical outlets was still mounted on the west wall of this Sound Room.
* Picture-Phone Booths (two booths side-by-side, located along the western wall of the Mezzanine, connected to each other, not connected to the outer, commercial network) - During the early 1970s,
a Picture-Phone exhibit was displayed at Buhl Planetarium (as a teenager, the author, Glenn A. Walsh, often visited this exhibit).
This was part of Bell Telephone's unveiling of commercial Picture-Phone service, which first started in Pittsburgh on 1970 July 1. A little later, when Picture-Phone service started in Chicago, a major event was the first long-distance Picture-Phone call between Pittsburgh and Chicago. In the 1980s, long after the Picture-Phone exhibit had been retired (and Picture-Phone service had failed as a commercial enterprise), the author, Glenn A. Walsh, noticed that one of the original Picture-Phones was still in storage in a Buhl Science Center storage room [One of the Buhl technicians (Greg Madden) wanted to see if it was still operable, but his supervisor (Buhl Science Center Technical Director Tom Nichols) would not permit it.].
WJAS-AM 1320, then Pittsburgh's news / talk radio station owned by NBC, helped Bell Telephone unveil this service to the public; at that time a Picture-Phone [which could be seen from the street, in the radio station's second floor studios in the Kossman Building, Stanwix Street at Forbes Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh] was used during their radio talk shows. At Buhl Planetarium, two Picture-Phone booths allowed
a patron to see (in black-and-white; real-time, not slow-scan as some early color video phones were), as well as hear, a friend or family
member in the adjacent booth.
Bell Telephone had first unveiled Picture-Phones to the general public at a special exhibit in the 1964 to 1965 World's Fair in New York City. People would stand in line to take a turn talking to someone, on a Picture-Phone, at a similar public exhibit at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The author, Glenn A. Walsh, used a Picture-Phone at this World's Fair exhibit, to talk to a girl at Disneyland, in June of 1965.
* Early Telephone Exhibit:
Voice Mirror - This exhibit from the 1960s was updated in the 1970s.
* Large poster showing the history of the telephone, with pictures of telephones from 1876 to the 1960s.
* Tici-Tac-Toe primitive computer game -
YouTube Video: Black-and-white video of Tic-Tac-Toe Machine in operation - from television segment "Magic Carpet" broadcast on Pittsburgh's WIIC-TV 11 (now WPXI-TV) on 1961 June 25. Host Ray Stewart interviewed Buhl Planetarium Staff Physicist (who later became Buhl Planetarium Executive Director)
Carl Wapiennik.
Actually, this game created by Bell Labs used automatic relays. The visitor was always the "X" while the machine was always the "O". Normally, you could tie the machine, but Bell Telephone advertised that you could never win the game. By the 1980s, this game was still usable, but it had defects. If you depressed the main reset button part-way, you could erase the machine's previous move and then make extra moves to beat the machine (through this defect, you could beat the machine three ways at once!). In the mid-1980s, to include this machine in a new computer exhibit at Buhl Planetarium as a demonstration of a primitive computer (the exhibit lost its funding from the Hillman Foundation, due to internal Buhl Planetarium politics, so the exhibit never was completed; the author, Glenn A. Walsh, had personally carried the original grant application to the Hillman Foundation), Program Director Alphonse DeSena asked a computer expert from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to repair and rehabilitate the machine. After a few months, the CMU expert brought the machine back, without repairing it. He told the author (Glenn A. Walsh) that the machine was too primitive to be repaired, due to the maze of relay wires. He said he could find no documentation from Bell Labs which would help him in repairing the machine. The machine was never returned to public display.
* Telephone Tours - Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8, pages
40,
41,
42,
43,
46, and
47.
*
Learn more
about the telephone's inventor, Alexander Graham Bell at these links:
Link 1 ***
Link 2
The following are three photographs of this non-usable replica of the first Newtonian Telescope. These photographs were taken by long-time Buhl Planetarium Lecturer (and Founder of the American Lunar Society) Francis G. Graham on a table in the Telescope Room of Buhl Planetarium's Observatory. In the background a clockradio (AM radio), owned by the author [although the on-off switch had been broken-off, a penny, wrapped in electrical tape (which can be seen in the photographs), was used to turn on this radio] is visible.
C.V. Sterrett, the first Executive Director of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, was quite proud of successfully having this historic Tesla Coil donated to Buhl Planetarium. The author, Glenn A. Walsh, once met C.V. Sterrett in the mid-1980s at the University of Pittsburgh Frick Fine Arts Building during a reception in honor of his wife, Agnes Sterrett, who had been a long-time Director of the University of Pittsburgh Press; I had accompanied Buhl Science Center Public Relations Director Jo Lee to this event. When talking to C.V. Sterrett, one of the first things he asked me about was the status of the Tesla Coil. Regrettably, at that time the Tesla Coil had been taken out of service, to make space for a new exhibit, "Sounds Sensational" regarding the science of sound. Then, the Tesla Coil was stored in the rear of the Little Science Theater / Lecture Hall, as there was no where else to store such a large instrument. From time-to-time, members of Tesla Coil clubs would visit Buhl Planetarium to see our historic Tesla Coil. During the time the Tesla Coil was out of service, I, or another member of the Floor Staff, would take the club members into the Little Science Theater to see the Tesla Coil.
The Tesla Coil would be demonstrated to the public following the completion of most planetarium shows. This particular Tesla Coil is now being presented to the public during the "Powerhouse" demonstration in the Works Theater of The Carnegie Science Center -
* Photograph--in operation at The Buhl
Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (east end of the first floor's Great Hall)
*
Photograph of the Great Hall in the early 1980s, with the Tesla Coil seen in the distance.
(5).
*
1956 photograph of Buhl Planetarium's Great Hall, with the Tesla Coil seen in the distance. In the foreground, long-time Floor Supervisor John Miller minds the beginning of the queue of the
Miniature Railroad and Village.
*
YouTube Video Short (3:43): 1955 Still, Black-and-White Image of Buhl Planetarium's Tesla Coil, with Background Music
* Temporary storage of Tesla Coil in Little Science Theater (did not function while in storage), from mid-1980s to about 1990.
*
Photograph--in operation at The Carnegie Science Center on 2005 July 12 (Photograph by Alyssa Cwanger of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
* PBS-TV American Experience video biography of Nikola Tesla; premiered Tuesday Evening, 2016 October 18 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / October 19 at 1:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
* Photograph of students demonstrating their home-made Tesla Coil, at the Pittsburgh Regional School Science and Engineering Fair held at Buhl Planetarium in the Spring of 1955. This photograph was taken from a book titled, Theater of the Stars, published on 1956 February 1.
Hennessy, Mike.
"Let's Talk About: Tesla and Kaufman." Column: Let's Talk About.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2014 Jan. 2.
In 1950 Kaufman's
Tesla Coil was donated to Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. This Tesla Coil is now demonstrated in the Works Theater at Pittsburgh's
Carnegie Science Center.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Biopic on Life of Nikola Tesla to Start Filming." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2013 May 3.
1,200,000-volt Oudin-type Tesla Coil Built for Pittsburgh's Original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
Novak, Matt.
"Nikola Tesla the Eugenicist: Eliminating Undesirables by 2100." Blog Post.
Smithsonian Magazine: Paleofuture Blog 2012 Nov. 16.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Crowd-Funding Saves Tesla Electricity Lab." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 Oct. 19.
A large one million-volt Oudin-type Tesla Coil was demonstrated at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Daredevils Test Tesla Coil, Supersonic Skydiving." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 Oct. 6.
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Man builds Tesla gun that can shoot 20,000 Volts of electricity." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 May 15.
"Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius." Radio Program.
Studio 360 2012 Jan. 27.
"TESLA DOESN’T STAND ALONE." Letter-to-the-Editor.
Long Island Press 2010 Sept. 16.
Nikola Tesla worked for more than a year in Pittsburgh for George Westinghouse, and he helped Westinghouse succeed in establishing alternating current as the primary form of electrical distribution, as opposed to Thomas Edison's direct current distribution system. A
one-million volt Oudin-type Tesla Coil often enthralled visitors at Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, usually following the conclusion of a planetarium show.
Rumsey, Spencer.
"Tesla’s Last Stand on Long Island
The visionary scientist’s Shoreham lab is for sale–
and his priceless legacy soon could be lost."
Long Island Press 2010 Sept. 16.
Nikola Tesla worked for more than a year in Pittsburgh for George Westinghouse, and he helped Westinghouse succeed in establishing alternating current as the primary form of electrical distribution, as opposed to Thomas Edison's direct current distribution system. A
one-million volt Oudin-type Tesla Coil often enthralled visitors at Pittsburgh's original
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, usually following the conclusion of a planetarium show.
*** Also see: Friends of Science East/Tesla Science & Technology Center and Museum regarding efforts to save Tesla's Long Island laboratory.
* 2007 June 7- BBC:
Wireless energy promise powers up
A clean-cut vision of a future freed from the rat's nest of cables
to power today's electronic gadgets has come one step closer to reality.
By Jonathan Fildes
First envisioned by Nikola Tesla, inventor of the
Tesla Coil.
Transpara had a specially-built home (wooden closet, specially-built at the front east corner of the Little Science Theater) in the Lecture Hall. When wheeled-out of her home, she would give her presentations on the west side of the small stage's Laboratory Table and Sink.
In the very early stages of planning for The Carnegie Science Center Buhl Planetarium Program Director Alphonse DeSena, Ph.D. asked the author to show him how Transpara operated, for possible inclusion in the exhibitry for the new science center. Instead of being a presentation in an auditorium, as Buhl Planetarium used Transpara, it was proposed to have Transpara become a stand-alone, patron-actuated exhibit, where the visitor could push a button to see a certain human organ light-up and hear a brief explanation of that organ.
At some point, the decision was made not to use Transpara in the new science center. It is the author's understanding that, shortly after the opening of the new Science Center building on 1991 October 5, Transpara was sold to the Health Museum of Cleveland for spare parts for their Museum's icon exhibit, Juno the Transparent Talking Woman, which had been introduced with the Museum's permanent exhibits in 1950. The Cleveland Health Museum changed their name to HealthSpace Cleveland a few years ago. On 2007 January 1, HealthSpace merged with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and their programs, including Juno, moved to the Museum of Natural History's recently expanded building in University Circle. All of the Health Museum's real estate properties were sold to the Cleveland Clinic.
In correspondence (electronic mail: 2007 July 23) with Thomas M. Bills, Health Education Coordinator and Junior Medical Camp Coordinator of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, it was learned that Transpara is currently stored off-site from the Museum along with the original Juno transparent model, while the second Juno transparent model is displayed at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. According to Mr. Bills, Transpara's tape recorder no longer exists, and Transpara is currently being held together with masking tape, as the glue in her plexiglass has degraded and the pieces were falling apart.
Plans are to keep all three transparent models (Transpara and the two Juno models) together in Cleveland, as they, according to Mr. Bills, "are historically significant models, especially in relation to Nazi Germany and the eugenics movement." The eugenics movement was also prominent even in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. Pittsburgh Astronomer and telescope manufacturer John A. Brashear, along with Pittsburgh's Academy of Science and Art, investigated the practicality of implementing scientific eugenics around 1911.
*
Picture of Buhl Planetarium's Transpara, from 1970s animated booklet for children,
The Mysterious Universe, Noted. A short review of discovery., which described Buhl Planetarium exhibits and programs.
* Transpara description and other information -
Aide's Reference Manual: February 28, 1983:
Page 25 ***
Page 26
*
Photographs of Juno the Transparent Talking Woman, an exhibit of HealthSpace now at the
Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
* Other Buhl Planetarium Life Sciences Programming:
**
BioCorner Embryology (Chick-hatching) Exhibit
**
Micro Zoo Presentation of life in a drop of water
**
Annual Tropical Fish Show
**
Wonder of Wonders Sex Education Program
Crompton, Janice.
"Mary Elizabeth Lewis: Longtime acting teacher and Pittsburgh Playhouse veteran." Obituary.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2023 April 19. First retrieved 2023 April 23.
Visitors at the former Buhl Planetarium in the ‘60s might also remember her as the voice of “Transpara,” a female body that demonstrated how organs and circulation worked.
* Controversial
Bodies traveling exhibit of human cadavers at The Carnegie Science Center (2007 to 2008)
** Walsh, Glenn A.
Letter-to-the-Editor:
"Demanding transparency from local museum." (Second of two letters on web page)
Pittsburgh City Paper 2008 March 19.
Regarding 2007-2008 Carnegie Science Center
"Bodies" exhibition,
and the sale, in the 1990s, of
original Buhl Planetarium
human-anatomy exhibit,
"Transpara," to the Cleveland Health Museum to be used as spare parts
for their transparent woman exhibit.
** 2007 Oct. 3 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Column: Mike Seate
The anatomy of controversy and cold-hard cash
Includes reference to his childhood toy, Transparra, The Visible Woman, a 14-inch plastic model of the female body.
*
Photograph of Floor Aide presenting Van de Graaff demonstration in Buhl Planetarium's Great Hall, near the front doors.
(5).
*
Photograph of the Great Hall in the early 1980s.
(5).
* Images of "Sparky," having his hair stand-on-end, when placed on Buhl's original
Van de Graaff Electrostatic Generator:
The public was invited to come-up and have their own "hair-raising" event with the Van de Graaff generator. Also, packing-peanuts, in the demonstrator's closed hand while his other hand was on an operating Van de Graaff, would fly-off into the audience when the demonstrator's hand was opened.
Often for the finale, the presenter would invite the audience to hold hands, forming a human chain; the presenter, while having one hand on an operating Van de Graaff, would then use his other hand to touch the hand of one member of the audience, and the electric charge would be transmitted through the entire human chain! Of course each member of the audience would feel a moderate shock; the tighter hands were held together (hence, making it easier to transmit the electric charge from one person to another), the less of a shock that would be felt. The demonstrator cautioned anyone with heart problems or a pace-maker not to participate in the human chain; and, the presenter suggested that digital wrist-watches, cell-phones, or other electronic devices should not be on the person while he or she was participating in the human chain (as the electric charge could damage these devices).
The original Buhl Planetarium Van de Graaff Electrostatic Generator was of a moderate size and was located in different exhibit galleries, from time-to-time. Later on, it was placed on wheels so it could be moved to where-ever the demonstrator wished to do the demonstration. In the last few years of Buhl Planetarium's operation, demonstrations were held in the "Little Science Theater" (Lecture Hall).
* Description and other information - Aide's Book, Copy 8, pages 22, 23, 44, and 45.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"Part of Historic Westinghouse Van de Graaff 'Atom Smasher' Preserved." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2015 Jan. 23.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"Historic Westinghouse Van de Graaff 'Atom Smasher' At Risk ." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2013 Jan. 30.
* Walsh, Glenn A.
"Buhl Planetarium Poem by Ann Curran." Blog Posting.
SpaceWatchtower 2012 May 3.
Poem "At the Late Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science," written by Pittsburgh Poet and
former Buhl Planetarium employee Ann Curran, who held a poetry reading at the Main Branch of
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on 2012 April 15.
Van de Graaff remembrance in poem.
* Weather Exhibits - Aide's Book,
Copy 8, pages
64,
65,
66,
67,
68, and
69.
* Weather Instruments - Aide's
Book, Copy 8, pages
67 and
68.
* Aerology Exhibit - Aide's Book, Copy 8, pages 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35.
Additionally, by the 1960s, there were three classic, "push-button" display-case exhibits regarding meterology located in the Hall of the Universe, or sometimes located in the west Planetarium hallway.
In the mid-1980s, long after the original weather instruments had been retired, a small weather station was installed just outside of the west doors to the third floor Astronomical Observatory (and just east of the door to the Observatory's west outdoor wing). This small weather station was dismantled after a couple of years (prior to the viewing of Halley's Comet in 1985-1986). This weather station unit only gave a temperature reading at the site of the instruments--inside the building (no thermometer or sensor was placed outside of the building). An anemometer and wind-weather vane were placed on a pipe near the Observatory's sliding roof.
This compact custom-made, weather station unit was originally purchased for use by the Weather course in Buhl Planetarium's Science Academy for children [the author attended the weekly, Saturday morning version of this class, in the Lab 2 classroom, in the late 1960s]. By the early 1980s, this course was no longer offered; hence, Buhl Planetarium Director Paul Oles [whose primary degree is in Meterology] decided to install this small weather station.
This compact custom-made, weather station unit had been in storage in the Science Academy storage room. Previously this room was the Lab 2 classroom, next to the elevator for the disabled. Since Lab 2 has access to water and other utilities, Buhl Program Director Alphonse DeSena, Ph.D. [who later became Director of the Buhl Science Center, and then The Carnegie Science Center, before helping construct the new Exploration Place in Wichita, Kansas as their Executive Director] had planned to convert this room back to a classroom. These plans were abandoned once plans for construction of The Carnegie Science Center were firmed-up)].
The "Weather Bureau" at The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science was forerunner to an official National Weather Service substation at The Carnegie Science Center, which was used (and funded) by WPXI-TV 11 in Pittsburgh, from July of 1992 through March of 2003.
Current Weather Forecast, Readings, Maps
Walsh, Glenn A.
"$4.48 Million Mars Exhibit Opens in Pittsburgh." Blog-Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2023 Jan. 11. First retrieved 2023 Jan. 11.
Exhibit opened at The Carnegie Science Center.
Includes information regarding Mars exhibits that were displayed at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science / Buhl Science Center.
Two weight scales at the original Buhl Planetarium helped visitors determine what they would weigh on Mars: Fairbanks-Morse Planetary Weight Scale (in addition to Mars, visitors could determine their weight on Earth, Earth's Moon, and Venus on this scale); Toledo Planetary Weight Scale (three additional Toledo scales allowed visitors to determine their weight on Earth, the Moon, and Jupiter). The historic Fairbanks-Morse scale (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) continues to be available to the public in the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium Lobby on the second floor of The Carnegie Science Center.
"Wonder of Wonders," was carefully explained to children by a teacher who was a registered nurse (Maxine Kelanic was the instructor during the 1980s and early 1990s). Prior to any visit of a school group to "Wonder of Wonders," a special presentation of the program (usually scheduled in the evening) was arranged for the parents of children who were scheduled to see the program. Although parents had the right to exclude their child from seeing the program, this seldom happened. Occasionally, this program would be offered to the general public. However, it was primarily a program offered to school groups.
* Description and other information - Aide's Reference Manual: February 28, 1983: Page 27
O'Driscoll, Bill.
"A one-woman show about opting out of motherhood." Theater Review.
Pittsburgh City Paper 2017 Oct. 25.
For Stacey Vespaziani, the question recalls a giant foam sperm she saw on a childhood school trip to the science center (probably the North Side’s old Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science). It was part of a birds-and-bees exhibit, and she marks the episode — the mystery, strangeness and implicit expectation surrounding reproduction — as the start of a life-long perplexity about parenthood.
(This probably refers to Buhl Planetarium's long-running "Wonder of Wonders" program, primarily scheduled for school and youth groups; parental approval is necessary to attend this program.)
Orginally, Buhl Planetarium staff members were told that Rand McNally did not permit any staff member or member of the general public to photograph this World Globe, as it is considered a "work of art." However, no documentation can be found for this claim, so the following is a photograph of Buhl Planetarium's original Rand McNally Geo-Physical Relief Globe, as it was displayed on the fourth floor of The Carnegie Science Center several years ago:
* Photograph
at
The Carnegie Science Center
The following photographs, taken by American Lunar Society Founder and former Buhl Planetarium Lecturer
Francis G. Graham, show this globe on display in the Great Hall of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science:
* Photograph of Hawaii and Pacific Ocean on Globe
(5).
* Photograph of Mountains of Iran and the Persian Gulf on Globe
(5).
*
Photograph of the Great Hall in the early 1980s.
(5).
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 25,
pages
8 and
9.
In 1983, the World Globe was moved from the western side of the first floor's Great Hall to the center of the Great Hall, near the front doors, to make room for the new Image/Imagination exhibit.
The large Mercator's Projection Map of the World was displayed at the 1939-1940 World's Fair by the U.S. Maritime Commission. Hence, on the map were small lights that designated all of the world's major seaports. After the World's Fair closed in October of 1940, this map, along with a large mural on steel manufacturing (from the United States Steel Corporation Pavillion) were moved to Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science for permanent display (several corporations which sponsored exhibits at the World's Fair, including U.S. Steel, were headquartered in Pittsburgh).
In the 1960s, the original steel manufacturing mural from the 1939 World's Fair was painted-over by Pittsburgh-area artist Nat Youngblood for a new "The Rise of Steel Technology" mural, which was commissioned by U.S. Steel (some Buhl staff members, including long-time Floor Manager John Miller, were quite upset with the loss of the original steel manufacturing mural).
The large Mercator's Projection Map of the World was displayed along the west wall of the first floor's Great Hall; this map nearly filled the west wall. The lighted seaports continued to be displayed on the Mercator's Projection Map of the World from 1940 until the mid-1980s. At that time, Buhl management decided to simply leave the seaports unlit, even though most of the lights were still usable.
A large 1960s-era jet passenger airplane was displayed, high in the air, close to the Mercator's Map, from the 1960s until 1983. Also, at the bottom of the Mercator's Map, several clocks (about a dozen) displayed the correct time (Standard Time; usually, the clocks were not advanced during Daylight Saving Time) for locations throughout the world; each clock located below the approximate time zone for the time indicated on the clock. This also lasted from the 1960s until 1983.
A large Rand McNally Geo-Physical Relief Globe also was exhibited near the Mercator's Map, until the Image/Imagination exhibit on light and perception was installed in that location in mid-1983. The World Globe was, then, moved around to several different locations, in succeeding years, in the first floor's Great Hall.
Both the large Mercator's Projection Map of the World and the steel industry mural (first the original mural, then the "The Rise of Steel Technology" mural) were displayed in Buhl Planetarium from 1940 until the building was completely closed in February of 1994. Both murals (i.e. Mercator's Map and U.S. Steel mural) were dismantled and removed from the Buhl Planetarium building in October of 2002, at the insistence of the management of the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, which started using the Buhl Planetarium building as a part of the Children's Museum in November of 2004.
* Images:
Image 1 ***
Image 2 ***
Image 3 ***
Image 4 ***
Image 5
Close-up Image
*
Photograph [published 1956 February 1] showing a seventh grade class, touring Buhl
Planetarium, interacting with the tour guide at the large Mercator's Projection Map of the
World.
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8, pages
52,
53,
64,
65, and
66.
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 25
pages
32,
33,
34,
35, and
36.
* SPECIAL NOTE: A
second Mercator's Projection World Map was displayed at the 1939 World's Fair, in the Hall of Transportation.
(Image Source: Francis G. Graham, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Kent State University)
* Articles regarding Mercator's and other Map Projections ---
Leveille, David.
"Boston's public schools have adopted a new, more accurate world map."
Public Radio International: "The World" 2017 March 20.
Buczkowski, Aleks.
"This video ultimately explains why all world maps are wrong."
Geoawesomeness.com 2017 Feb. 20.
Buczkowski, Aleks.
"Top 7 maps that ultimately explain map projections."
Geoawesomeness.com 2016 Oct. 7.
Buczkowski, Aleks.
"#GeoawesomeQuiz – Do you know everything about Map Projections?"
Geoawesomeness.com 2015 Sept. 4.
Buczkowski, Aleks.
"All Map Projections Compared And Visualized."
Geoawesomeness.com 2013 July 1.
World War II & Buhl Planetarium
First Floor: Great Hall / Grand Hall; Hall of the Universe / Hall of Astronomy / East Gallery.
The first floor also included 425-seat Theater of the Stars Planetarium and 250-seat Little Science Theater Lecture Hall, as well as exhibitry in the hallways surrounding the Theater of the Stars.
Lower Levels: Mezzanine Gallery; Bowdish Gallery / South Gallery; and Octagon Gallery, all three on separate levels.
Adjacent to the Mezzanine were two classrooms, including the Discovery Lab
where the public could view physics presentations.
Adjacent to the Bowdish Gallery / South Gallery were the Club Room, later known as the Wherrett Memorial Classroom (just west of Bowdish Gallery), and the Amateur Astronomers Workshop, later Miniature Railroad and Village workshop and storage room, plus a special, security storage room (just east of Bowdish Gallery).
Second Floor: 800-volume Science Library and staff offices.
Third Floor: Astronomical Observatory (including outdoor West Wing and East Wing for use of portable telescopes) and Weather Station.
Proposed Expansions & / or Renovations of Buhl Planetarium, Which Never Happened
Great Hall / Grand Hall / Main Hall of Buhl Planetarium (first floor at main entrance) - Visitors entered Buhl Planetarium at this very large and cavernous exhibit gallery, with walls of Siena (Italy) Marble and terrazo floor, which included a
Gift Counter (later, in 1983, a larger Gift Shop), major exhibits and demonstrations such as the
Tesla Coil,
Van de Graaff Electrostatic Generator, Foucault Pendulum,
Rand McNally World Globe,
Gemmaux "Masterpieces in Glass" Exhibit, and later Image/Imagination light and perception exhibit (1983), Large Mercator's Projection Map of the World, "The Rise of Steel Technology" Mural, as well as providing direct access to the
Theater of the Stars,
Little Science Theater, and the
Hall of the Universe.
*
Photograph of the Great Hall in the early 1980s.
(5).
*
Photograph of the demonstration of the Foucault Pendulum
*
Photograph of the Tesla Coil
*
Photograph of demonstration of the Van de Graaff Electrostatic Generator.
(5).
*
Photograph of the large Mercator's Projection Map of the World
*
Photograph of "The Rise of Steel Technology" Mural
Here are links to a couple photographs of the Science Library, after The Carnegie Science Center opened in 1991 (photographs taken in January of 2002):
One text book included a photograph of a painting (5), "The Old Astronomer" by Pennsylvania artist and architect Daniel Owen Stephens. This painting (along with several other Stephens' paintings) was given for Buhl Planetarium's permanent collection, on the day of Buhl's dedication: 1939 October 24. This painting was also used in a 1961 black-and-white filmstrip for schools called "The Race for Space."
Click here for an example of one of the rare books in the Science Library.
Click here, and scroll-down to the bottom of the web page, to see the Science Library bookplate.
Due to its small size, the Science Library never had a full-time librarian. From time-to-time, a volunteer (retired librarian) would come in and update the collection. Since the library never had a full-time librarian, "By Appointment Only," remained the public policy for the entire duration of the library, 1939 to 1994. At one point, the author did lobby for regularly-scheduled library hours for the general public; however, funding did not permit this.
Buhl Planetarium's Science Library was rather small for two reasons. First, Buhl Planetarium was built in the middle of the Great Depression (1939), and the entire Buhl Planetarium building was only 40,000 square feet. Secondly, Buhl Planetarium was built next-door to America's first, publicly-funded Carnegie Library (1890 to 2006). Although not Pittsburgh's Main Carnegie Library, this library had been the Main Library for the independent City of Allegheny, before Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh's North Side) was annexed to Pittsburgh in 1907; so its collection was larger than the normal neighborhood branch library.
From 1991 to 1994, the library served the mission of the then-"Allegheny Square Annex, Carnegie Science Center," when the Buhl Planetarium building was used for Carnegie Science Center's science and computer classes, as well as teacher development classes. When The Carnegie Science Center was constructed, it was decided not to include a library with the new building. When the Buhl Planetarium building closed completely in February of 1994, some books from the Science Library were transferred to a relevant department of The Carnegie Science Center (mostly to the Planetarium and Observatory Department). Other books were given away. Former Buhl Planetarium employee Timm Barczy found a book, with a Buhl Science Library bookplate, at a second-hand book store.
* 6-inch f/12 Mazur Reflector Telescope with a photo-electric cell (5), owned by long-time Buhl Planetarium Lecturer (and American Lunar Society Founder) Francis G. Graham. The meter mounted on the telescope reads microamps, and it has a bridge circuit. This photograph was taken on 1983 September 24 in Buhl Planetarium's Little Science Theater, located near the projection screen in the front of the Lecture Hall, between the Lab Table (east of the Lab Table) and the wooden enclosure that housed Transpara, the Talking Glass Lady.
* 8-inch f/8 Edmund Reflector Telescope (5), owned by long-time Buhl Planetarium Lecturer (and American Lunar Society Founder) Francis G. Graham. This photograph was taken on 1983 September 24 in Buhl Planetarium's Little Science Theater, located in the front of the Lecture Hall, between the Lab Table (west of the Lab Table) and the emergency exit doors to the outside. Since that time, Professor Graham has sold the telescope tube and mirror; the heavy cast iron stand now holds Professor Graham's 7-inch Refractor Telescope.
Walker, Karen.
"Buzz Words: Local teams set to compete for adult literacy."
StateCollege.com 2024 Aug. 26. First retrieved 2024 Sept. 2.
"I was the last speller standing in the 1981 eighth-grade spelling bee at Butler Junior High School. This distinction won me an official
“Achievement in Spelling” certificate and a trip to Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh for the next level of competition."
In the first three months of each year, The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science
hosted the spelling bee rounds which lead to the final Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee championship
round (which was usually held at a larger auditorium, such as in Schenley High School). These spelling
bee rounds, co-sponsored by The Pittsburgh Press, took place in Buhl's
250-seat Lecture Hall
(a.k.a. Little Science Theater), with two spelling bee sessions occurring on Saturday mornings,
for several weeks. The Pittsburgh Press rented the Lecture Hall for these spelling bee rounds
and paid for an additional Buhl Planetarium staff person (Floor Aide) to manage the needs for this rental.
The student contestants were seated just in front of the small and low Lecture Hall stage,
and the Lab Table on the stage, on old-style, black folding-chairs (which were replaced and
donated to the Salvation Army in the late 1980s).
Walsh, Glenn A.
"$4.48 Million Mars Exhibit Opens in Pittsburgh." Blog-Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2023 Jan. 11. First retrieved 2023 Jan. 11.
Exhibit opened at The Carnegie Science Center.
Includes information regarding Mars exhibits that were displayed at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science / Buhl Science Center.
“Mars in 3-D”, a popular motion picture produced by NASA, was often shown to the general public in Buhl Planetarium's Little Science Theater (250-seat Lecture Hall); each visitor attending the film was given a pair of 3-D glasses to view the production. This 1979 film included 3-D images of Mars, taken by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 spacecraft, beginning in the Summer of 1976.
Cataldi, James F.
"Storytelling: With clear recall, he spells out his 'portentous' fall."
Column: PG Portfolio - "Storytelling."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2011 April 1.
"In 1962, eighth grade at St. Mary's in McKees Rocks, Sister Madeline picked me to go to
the regional spelling bee at Buhl Planetarium."
In the first three months of each year, The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science
hosted the spelling bee rounds which lead to the final Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee championship
round (which was usually held at a larger auditorium, such as in Schenley High School). These spelling
bee rounds, co-sponsored by The Pittsburgh Press, took place in Buhl's
250-seat Lecture Hall
(a.k.a. Little Science Theater), with two spelling bee sessions occurring on Saturday mornings,
for several weeks. The Pittsburgh Press rented the Lecture Hall for these spelling bee rounds
and paid for an additional Buhl Planetarium staff person (Floor Aide) to manage the needs for this rental.
The student contestants were seated just in front of the small and low Lecture Hall stage,
and the Lab Table on the stage, on old-style, black folding-chairs (which were replaced and
donated to the Salvation Army in the late 1980s).
Lab 1 (Discovery Lab) and Lab 2 were adjacent to the Mezzanine. The Wherrett Memorial Classroom was adjacent to the Bowdish Gallery / South Gallery (just west of the Bowdish Gallery). The Telescope Room in the third-floor Observatory was also used as a classroom, even though the Telescope Room had no heat or air-conditioning (in colder weather a space-heater was used). The Library / Board Room was also used as a classroom.
Lab 1, later known as the Discovery Lab in the mid-1980s, included a mini-planetarium dome. In addition to Buhl Junior Space Academy / Buhl Science Academy (YouTube Video (0:20): 1986 Television Commercial for the Buhl Science Academy) classes, staff members and volunteers would present physics demonstrations to the public in the Discovery Lab.
Lab 2 included water utility lines. In later years, Lab 2 was used as the Classes Supply Room In the early 1980s, Dr. Alphonse DeSena, Buhl Program Director, told the author (Glenn A. Walsh) that he wished to convert Lab 2 back to a classroom, due to Lab 2 having utilities. However, Lab 2 was never converted back to a classroom, once planning began for an entirely new Science Center building, which became known as The Carnegie Science Center.
The Wherrett Memorial Classroom was specially designed for the Wonder of Wonders Sex Education Program.
On the wall adjacent to the Octagon Gallery entrance to the Computer Learning Lab (just outside of the Lab) was the Pixel Paint Pots computer, an early touch-screen computer, where the public could "paint" with their fingers on the computer screen.
The Computer Learning Lab succeeded an earlier computer classroom, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which included six Texas Instruments computers, which included educational games for children. These computers were generally located in the same location as, what would become, the Computer Learning Lab, however, the computers were not networked and this "classroom" was not enclosed as was the Computer Learning Lab.
* Buhl Planetarium visitor John Daniel Potemra (then of the McKeesport suburb of Versailles Borough) stands outside at the visitors' entrance to The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (then known as the Buhl Science Center), on 1983 September 24 (5). He stands beside a large sign, mounted between the two visitor doors (at that time, recently converted from the original two revolving doors to two large glass doors, to provide accessibility to the disabled), which advertises some of the major attractions in the building including the "Pixel-Paint Pots" artistic touch computer, Computers [in the Computer Learning Lab (CLL)], "BioCorner" Chick-Hatching Exhibit, Planetarium Sky Shows, Laserium Laser-Light Concerts, and Demonstrations and Lectures.
Glass Display Case From Original Sales Counter
Walsh, Glenn A.
"Historic Buhl Planetarium Flag Pole Refurbished, Back-in-Use." Blog Post.
SpaceWatchtower 2013 Dec. 7.
Ten-inch, Siderostat-type, Refractor Telescope (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - The second largest Siderostat-type telescope in existence(third largest which ever existed).
Large World Map (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Originally created by the U.S. Maritime Commission for the 1939 World's Fair in New Y(Property of the City of Pittsburgh)ork City, at the time of creation it was considered the largest Mercator's Projection Map in the world! This map is currently displayed along the western wall of the first floor's Great Hall.
U.S. Steel Mural (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - This large mural, attached to the southern wall of the first floor's Great Hall, depicts the rise of technology. A special lighting system for this mural exists, with the control unit located in the former office of Buhl's Discovery gift shop.
Painting of Halley's Comet (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - This painting, from Great Britain, was donated to Buhl in 1986 by the late Willard F. Rockwell, Jr., former Chairman of Rockwell International Corporation and Founder of Astrotech International Corporation(the painting was transported to Buhl in Mr. Rockwell's limousine!). This painting is currently located on the eastern wall of the Lecture Hall (a.k.a. Little Science Theater); it could be moved elsewhere.
Epideoscope Projector (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Antique, overhead-type projector, with microscope,
used for Buhl's
first Life
Sciences public presentation, "The Micro-Zoo." It is unknown whether this
projector still operates. It is currently located in the Lecture Hall,
but it could be displayed elsewhere.
* Description and other information -
Aide's Book, Copy 8, page
82.
Oscilloscope (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Large older model, used for presentations in the Lecture Hall; it could be used and displayed elsewhere.
Beautiful brass and marble pit displaying the true cardinal points of the compass (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Used to display the Foucault Pendulum, and it still displays the cardinal points of the compass.
Grand Clock (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - This clock, which still operates, greets the public as they enter the building's front doors; its control unit is located on the second floor.
Beautiful Wood-Paneled Library (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - This is located on the building's second floor.
Lecture Hall Science Table (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - This is located in the front of the Lecture Hall and is still usable for any type of science presentation.
Lighted Picture Displays (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Several lighted picture display cases exist, either imbedded into the wall(Planetarium hallway) or mounted on the wall (Astronomical Observatory); any type of picture can be displayed.
Rainbow Wallpaper (Property of the City of Pittsburgh) - Wallpaper which refracts light, at the entrance to the East Gallery.
* Buhl Planetarium Astronomical Observatory / The People's Observatory: Link 1 *** Link 2 *** Link 3
* Exhibits, Programs, and
Major Facilities of
The Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science / Buhl Science Center
* Historic Buhl Exhibits Now Displayed at The Carnegie Science Center
* Buhl Planetarium Property, Equipment, and Artifacts, Legally Owned by the City of Pittsburgh ---
**
Status of City of Pittsburgh Property Related to The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science - 2001 October
** Inventory of City of Pittsburgh Assets, Originated at The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science,
Moved to The Carnegie Science Center -
2007 September 24 ***
2005 June 30 ***
2001 October
**
Official City of Pittsburgh Inventory of "Buhl Planetarium Assets" 2002 January 23
**
Original Buhl Planetarium Building Lease and Customs Service Agreement Regarding Buhl Planetarium's
Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and Four-inch Zeiss Terrestrial Refractor Telescope
* Exhibits and Other Artifacts Which Remained in Buhl Planetarium Building Prior to October of 2002
* Historic Buhl Planetarium Equipment & Artifacts - 2019 May: Page 1 *** Page 2 *** Letter to Mayor
This Internet, World Wide Web Site administered by Glenn A.
Walsh.
Unless otherwise indicated, all web pages in this account are Copyright
1999-2013, Glenn A. Walsh, All Rights Reserved.
Additions and corrections to:
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