See an Unexplained Object in the Sky?
Have a Question About Astronomy or Other Sciences?
Ask an Expert from Friends of the Zeiss!
Images and Information: City of Pittsburgh's Only Public Observing Session
of the Historic Transit of Venus - 2004 June 8
Co-Sponsored By:
Friends of the Zeiss and
The Duquesne Incline
New Book:
Theaters of Time and Space
American Planetaria, 1930-1970
By Jordan D. Marche II
Discusses the beginning of planetarium theaters in America, with some emphasis on the first five major American planetaria built in the 1930s, including Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
Buhl Planetarium Operated for the Public:
October 24, 1939 through August 31, 1991
[Operated by Carnegie Institute from January, 1987 through
February, 1994]
This Internet, World Wide Web Site is dedicated to the history of a pioneer in the fields
of planetaria and informal Science education for the public: The Buhl Planetarium and
Institute of Popular Science in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A. Most
people referred to the entire institution as simply "Buhl Planetarium"
[except from 1982 February through 1991 August, when it was known as the Buhl Science
Center]. This should not be confused with the
Henry Buhl, Jr.
Planetarium and Observatory, located in Pittsburgh's
Carnegie Science Center,
which is also sometimes referred to as "Buhl Planetarium."
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science
was the fifth major planetarium erected in the United States. The original Buhl
Planetarium includes a
Zeiss Mark II Planetarium Projector, now the
oldest operable, major
planetarium projector in the world ! And, this was the first planetarium projector in
the world to be placed on an elevator, a fairly unique
"worm-gear" elevator custom-built by Pittsburgh's
Westinghouse Electric
Company, for greater flexibility in the "Theater of the Stars." The Planetarium
Theater was also the first in the world to include a stage for theatrical
performances !
The original Buhl Planetarium also includes a rather unique telescope specifically
designed for public viewing, although constructed at professional observatory standards.
The
10-inch "Siderostat-type" Refractor Telescope, dedicated by famous Astronomer
Harlow Shapley in 1941, allows the public to view celestial objects from a warm observing
room, during the cold-weather months! This telescope is the world's second largest
operable Siderostat-type telescope !
The exterior of the building is constructed of Indiana Limestone, with much of the
interior walls[and the
Foucault Pendulum Pit]
composed of Florentine Marble. In the first floor's Great Hall is a large
map of the world, originally created by the
United States Maritime Commission for the
1939 World's Fair in New York City. At the time of creation, it was considered the
largest Mercator's Projection map in the world !
The original Buhl Planetarium, which was dedicated 1939 October 24, closed as a public museum on 1991 August 31. It continued to
be used as a tutorial center for
The Carnegie Science Center's Science and Computer classes until 1994 February. The
building and historic equipment have not been used for the benefit of the public since
1994. The historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor
Telescope were nearly sold to
Navarro College in central Texas in 1995,
simply for display as antique equipment; there was no plan to actually use this historic
equipment. The
Council of the City of Pittsburgh wisely chose to keep this
historic equipment in Pittsburgh; the original Buhl Planetarium building, property,
equipment, and artifacts are the property of the City of Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Children's Museum (now known as the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh), originally located
across the street from the original Buhl Planetarium building [in the 1897
Old Allegheny
Post Office building],
presented a
proposal to use the original Buhl Planetarium building as part of an
expanded "Children's Museum/Center," in 2000. However, the
Pittsburgh Children's Museum's
proposal did not include retention of the historic equipment or other artifacts remaining
in the original Buhl Planetarium building.
Dismantling of the historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and the 10-inch Siderostat-type
Refractor Telescope occurred in 2002 October.
Although The The Carnegie Science Center did offer a proposal for reassembly of this equipment at
The Carnegie Science Center building, the
author seriously doubts that the
Science Center would actually spend nearly one million dollars to make this equipment
functional, once again--particularly considering that the Science Center currently has
state-of-the-art planetarium and observatory equipment. Hence, under this
proposal, if there is any reassembly of the equipment, they would be reassembled as
non-functioning, antique artifacts. Considering that this equipment does function in its
original installation, the disassembly and possible
reassembly of non-functioning artifacts would seriously degrade the historic value of
this equipment.
Reassembly as a non-functioning exhibit, of the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, did occur in the Atrium Gallery of The Carnegie Science Center with opening for public view on 2010 July 1. Other historic artifacts remain dismantled and in storage.
This historic equipment was custom-built for use in the original Buhl Planetarium building.
These two pieces of equipment could not be used elsewhere without duplicating the original
Planetarium Theater and the original Astronomical Observatory at a cost of nearly one million dollars.
The
author has formed an organization, named "
Friends of the Zeiss", to work to preserve the
historic
Zeiss II Planetarium Projector,
10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, and other artifacts such as the
Mercator's Projection Map of the World(largest map in the world when created for the
1939 World's Fair in New York City), and the
Nat Youngblood mural on the history of steel
technology(commissioned by the U.S. Steel Corporation) in the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science building, located in Allegheny Center on Pittsburgh's Lower North Side. The original name of this organization, "The People's Planetarium and Observatory", was derived from the historic name of Buhl Planetarium's original Astronomical Observatory,
"The People's Observatory". For simplicty, the name was changed to
Friends of the Zeiss. For legal reasons, it was decided not to include the word "Buhl" in the name of this new organization.
The
author has told Pittsburgh City Council
that a not-for-profit organization, with 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt status, will be formed, to raise funds to maintain these pieces
of historic equipment and artifacts, if they remain in the Buhl Planetarium building; the tax-exempt status of
Friends of the Zeiss is pending.
Click here for mission and organizational information about
Friends of the Zeiss.
Friends of the Zeiss
is currently working to
convince Children's Museum and City officials that retention and funtionality of the
historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor
Telescope, in the original Buhl Planetarium building,
will complement the proposed
Pittsburgh Children's Museum and Center. Another group working to preserve The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science is called
"Save the Buhl".
Click here to read a brief history of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of
Popular Science. Or
click here to go straight to the web site's Master Index.
About the Author
The author of this Internet, World Wide Web Site is Glenn A. Walsh, a free-lance writer
and Internet web page designer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A. Mr. Walsh received a B.A. in Journalism,
with emphasis in Urban Affairs (Honors Program, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa), from the
University of Kentucky in 1978. Mr. Walsh graduated from the Shaler Area High School in 1974, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Shaler Township, where he was a member of the National Honor Society.
Mr. Walsh heads a new not-for-profit organization,
Friends of the Zeiss; he serves as Project Director and on the Steering Committee of the organization. This organization seeks to preserve the functionality of the historic equipment and artifacts of
a pioneer in the history of the development of planetaria and museums of the physical sciences,
Pittsburgh's
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, including the
Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, now the
oldest operable major planetarium projector in the world !
Mr. Walsh has participated in
informal science education since 1972, and he
has nearly twenty years of professional experience in the planetarium, museum,
and public library fields. Much of this experience was with
Carnegie
Museums and
Carnegie Libraries in the Pittsburgh region, where industrialist
and philanthropist
Andrew Carnegie amassed his fortune in the steel industry.
Mr. Walsh is a noted authority on the life of Andrew Carnegie and the history of the
libraries and museums he founded. Mr. Walsh authors an Internet web site on the History of
Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries at URL:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >. Mr. Walsh
also served as the Consulting Editor of the
1999 April issue
(
Link 1 ***
Link 2)
of
Cobblestone magazine;
the theme of this particular issue was the life and philanthropies of Andrew Carnegie.
Cobblestone Magazine is a
national history magazine for children in the United States, published in Peterborough,
New Hampshire.
Mr. Walsh served as a Life Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the
Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall of Carnegie, Pennsylvania (a suburb just southwest of
the City of Pittsburgh) from 1995 April 20 (96th
anniversary of the
legal founding of the Library by Andrew Carnegie) through
2000 June 6.
He served one year as the Library Board's Treasurer and two years as the Board's
Secretary, and he served as the Library's Historian. He managed the Library's annual Summer Reading Program for young people, in the Summer of 1995, and he taught a monthly, one-day, "Introduction to the Internet" class for library patrons, from 1996 through 2001. Mr. Walsh also coordinated the
weekly tours of the Library's Civil War Museum, The Captain
Thomas Espy Post, Number 153, Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Walsh was employed in several capacities with a
pioneer in the history of the development of planetaria and museums of the physical sciences,
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in Pittsburgh
(a.k.a. Buhl Science Center) and its successor,
The Carnegie Science Center,
from June of 1982 through January of 1992. Among the several positions
Mr. Walsh held during this time span were
Astronomical Observatory Coordinator (five years);
Planetarium Lecturer (three years); and Curator of the
"BioCorner" Embryology
Exhibit (a Life Sciences exhibit which Mr. Walsh created in 1983 for Buhl Planetarium, at the request of the then-new Buhl President, Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr.), which included the hatching of chicks (and occasionally ducklings) in public view every weekend (and during major holiday periods) year-round (four years). He taught a chicken embryology class in the Summer of 1984.
On 1987 January 1, the Buhl Science Center merged with
The Carnegie Institute to
become one of
The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. A new
Carnegie Science Center [constructed on the north bank (i.e. North Shore) of the Ohio River],
located one mile southwest of the Buhl Planetarium building, replaced
the Buhl Science Center on 1991 October 5.
During high school and college years, Mr. Walsh served as General Manager of an educational radio
station
(
WLCR-AM Carrier Current), operated by
Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca in the Lewisburg/
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia area, while also employed as a Camp Counselor during
the Summers of 1972 through 1977. Mr. Walsh was granted a Third Class Commercial
Radiotelephone
License with Broadcast Endorsement, by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in
March of 1972.
Mr. Walsh was the instructor for a radio course, which taught FCC regulations and radio theory necessary for the acquisition of a Third Class Commercial Radiotelephone License with Broadcast Endorsement. In addition to teaching this course to interested campers at Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca during the camping season, he also taught this course as part of a leisure learning program at the University of Kentucky in 1975.
Several campers at Camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca did take this course and subsequently succeeded in passing the FCC examination for a Third Class "ticket" (Note: The FCC no longer offers Third Class radio licenses.).
In addition to the Board of Trustees of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Mr. Walsh has
served on numerous other boards and committees including:
*
Allegheny County Library
Association (ACLA) Federated Library System - Delegate: 1995-1999
* Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission (SPRPC) Citizen Advisory Panel -
1994-1998
Note: SPRPC is now known as the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC).
*
Municipality of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania Sidewalk Task Force - 1992-1993
*
Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT),
Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC) -
1984-1989 (Charter Member)
*
Allegheny Conference on Community Development Transit Planning Advisory Task Force -
1987
* Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission (SPRPC) Citizens' Transit Advisory
Committee - 1980-1981
Note: SPRPC is now known as the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC).
* Transit Advocates and Patrons (TAP: PAT spelled backwards) - Community organization promoting improved public transportation in Pittsburgh region; dissolved with 1984 establishment of
official PAT citizens' advisory council - 1980-1984
Addresses and presentations delivered by Mr. Walsh:
Mr. Walsh was the guest speaker at the
reopening of the historic Carnegie Library in the suburban Atlanta town of Newnan, Georgia on 2009 September 15. The
Newnan Carnegie Library was the first Carnegie Library building, and probably the first library building of any type, to close (22 years earlier), be reused for another purpose (courthouse annex), then be converted back to public library service!
Mr. Walsh participated in a three-person panel for the
Carnegie Libraries: Challenges and Solutions educational session at the 2006
National Preservation Conference in Pittsburgh, sponsored annually by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and locally (2006) sponsored by the
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Mr. Walsh's presentation was titled,
"Primary Impediments to Historic Preservation: EGO and MONEY !"
Mr. Walsh organized the celebration of the centennial of the dedication of the
Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, including delivery of the
address on the history of the Library, on 2002 October 8.
Mr. Walsh delivered an
invited address, before the
Great Lakes Planetarium Association on 2001 October 13, regarding the history of
The Buhl Planetarum and Institute of Popular Science, a pioneer in the history of the development of planetaria and museums of the physical sciences.
Major publications and Internet sites authored by Mr. Walsh:
Mr. Walsh contributed the article, "How We Learn about the Universe," in the
May/June 2008 issue (page 18 of the 28-page issue) of the new
Spigot Science Magazine, an exciting, new, on-line science magazine for young people and classrooms - grades 4 through 7; the theme of this particular issue is "The Universe." A
subscription to this new Internet resource is easy and free-of-charge, and the
subscription provides access to all past issues.
Mr. Walsh authored articles, regarding three historic Pittsburgh astronomers (John A. Brashear, Samuel Pierpont Langley, and James E. Keeler), for
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers published in 2007.
Mr. Walsh created and manages several
educational web sites on the Internet. He also created the
web site of The Duquesne
Incline of Pittsburgh; this web site was originally hosted, for educational
purposes, on the domain of The Carnegie
Library of
Pittsburgh, through their Carnegie Library
Community Network/Three Rivers
Free-Net, in association with the
Electronic Information Network For Public Libraries in
Allegheny County.
The Internet web sites of
The Duquesne Incline and the historic
Transit of the Planet Venus Across the Image of the Sun on 2004 June 8 (adjoining the
Friends of the Zeiss web site) are hosted for educational, non-commercial purposes by the new
Pittsburgh Free.Net.
To contact the author:
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc > or
< carnegiefreelibrary@yahoo.com >
Telephone: 412-561-7876
U.S. Mail:
Glenn A. Walsh
P.O. Box 1041
Pittsburgh PA 15230-1041
USA
Personal Resume
History of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute
of
Popular Science,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Internet Web Site Master Index
Authored By
Glenn A. Walsh *** Sponsored By
Friends of the Zeiss
Internet World Wide Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc > ***
Internet Web Site Credits and Special Thanks
This Master Index: <
https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#Index >
Electronic Mail: < jake@planetarium.cc >
Master Index Categories
Other Important Information
Organizations Working to Preserve the Historic Buhl Planetarium
Other Science Organizations
Web Sites: History of Buhl Planetarium
***
Images and Information: Pittsburgh's Only Public Observing Session
of the Historic Transit of Venus - 2004 June 8
Co-Sponsored By:
Friends of the Zeiss and
The Duquesne Incline
***
New Book:
Theaters of Time and Space
American Planetaria, 1930-1970
By Jordan D. Marche II
Discusses the beginning of planetarium theaters in America, with some emphasis on the first five major American planetaria built in the 1930s, including Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
Click here for a page (Page 32) regarding Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (once the web page loads, click the "Page 32 >>" link to see the entire page).
General History -
Web Site Cover
Page
Buhl Planetarium "Firsts" and World Records
Buhl Planetarium Quick History & Current Building Use by Children's Museum
Brief History of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh
Buhl
Fact Sheet
Historical
Highlights
History
Photo Album
Historic
News Articles
Art in Pittsburgh’s Original Buhl Planetarium
History of
the Lower North Side of Pittsburgh
Henry Buhl, Jr. Biography
Boggs and Buhl Department Store (1869 to 1958) history article
The Buhl Foundation, which funded construction of Buhl Planetarium and subsidized operations 1939 - 1982:
*
Official Web Site
*
Biography: Henry Buhl, Jr.
*
Excerpts from the Last Will and Testament of Henry Buhl, Jr.
*
History of Buhl Foundation:
Link 1 ***
Link 2
*
Excerpt: Buhl Foundation Annual Report, 2004-2005 regarding 2005 designation of Buhl Planetarium as historic structure
Allegheny City Hall (circa 1864 to 1937) (formerly occupied site of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science)
Institutional Neighbors of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science
*
Allegheny Public Square Plaza/Park (formerly Ober Park)
*
America's First Publicly-Funded Carnegie Library: original Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Regional Branch (formerly Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny)
* World's First
Carnegie Hall, now home to the
New Hazlett Theater
*
Old Allegheny Post Office, now home to the
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
*
National Aviary (formerly Pittsburgh Conservatory-Aviary)
*
The Carnegie Science Center and
U.S.S. Requin Submarine
* Now demolished
Boggs and Buhl Department Store
*
Allegheny Center Mall and Office and Apartment Complex
*
NRG Thermal Natural Gas Steam Plant
*
Allegheny Traditional Academy Elementary School and Middle School (originally Allegheny High School)
*
Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
*
Cardinal Wright Regional Catholic Elementary School (formerly Saint Peter's Elementary School)
Buhl
Publications
Proof
of the Pudding:
Achievements of Buhl Alumni, 1939-1989
Buhl Planetarium Assists in Creation of The Astronomical League
Adler Planetarium
and Astronomy Museum, Chicago -- Inspiration for The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular
Science, Pittsburgh
Construction of Buhl Planetarium --
*
Construction Photographs
*
Outer Planetarium Dome
History of Planetaria in the World
Oldest Planetarium ?
Historic "The Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Drama at Buhl Planetarium
Images and Information: Pittsburgh's Only Public Observing Session
of the Historic Transit of Venus - 2004 June 8
Co-Sponsored By:
Friends of the Zeiss and
The Duquesne Incline
Pittsburgh-Area Astronauts --
James B. Irwin ***
Judith A. Resnik ***
Jay Apt ***
Mike Fincke
NASA Administrator
James C. Fletcher ***
NASA Flight Director
Heather Rarick
Alumni of Buhl Planetarium
Biographies: Related to Buhl Planetarium and/or Astronomy In-General
1969 July 20 - The Historic Mission of Apollo 11, Man Walks on the Moon for the First Time
1986 Jan. 28: Challenger Disaster Viewed at Buhl Planetarium
1995 May 18: Citizens Stop Sale of Buhl Planetarium's historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope to Out-of-State College
Friends of the Zeiss Response to City RFP: Buhl Planetarum Equipment & Artifacts
Buhl Planetarium Nominated by
Friends of the Zeiss To Be Historic Landmark
Amateur Science Clubs at Buhl Planetarium
Citizen Science Projects
Web Sites - History of Buhl Planetarium:
History of Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh ***
Save the Buhl ***
Facebook Page:
Buhl Science Center
Organizations Working to Preserve the Historic Building, Equipment, and Artifacts of the original Buhl Planetarium:
Friends of the Zeiss ***
Save the Buhl
Associated Organization:
South Hills Backyard Astronomers, Pittsburgh
American Presidential Inauguration of Barack H. Obama, Chronology --
National Institute of Standards and Technology time signals used, to provide
precise chronology of inauguration events.
"Theater of the Stars" and "The People's Observatory" -
"The Theater
of the Stars" - Buhl's Planetarium
Theater
featuring the Zeiss Mark II Planetarium Projector
The oldest
operable, major planetarium projector in the world !
Planetarium Sky Dramas at Pittsburgh's Original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science -
The Sky Shows
Historic "The Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Drama at Buhl Planetarium
"The
People's Observatory" -
Buhl's Astronomical Observatory
featuring the Ten-inch, Siderostat-type, Refractor Telescope
Second largest Siderostat-type telesscope in the world!
Eclipse of the Sun: Safety Tips
1995 May 18: Citizens Stop Sale of Buhl Planetarium's historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope to Out-of-State College
Oldest Planetarium ?
Historic "The Star of Bethlehem" Planetarium Sky Drama at Buhl Planetarium
History of the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago (Inspiration for Buhl Planetarium)
Histories of Other Planetaria
Henry Buhl, Jr.
Planetarium and Observatory at The
Carnegie Science Center
Institute of Popular Science/Science Center -
Buhl Exhibits, Programs, and Facilities
Annual
Reports of Programs, Exhibits,
and Attendance
Staff
Handbooks
History of the BioCorner Embryology (Chick-Hatching) Exhibit
History of the
Miniature Railroad and
Village
Amateur Science Clubs at Buhl Planetarium
Historic Equipment and Artifacts to be Preserved
Major Facilities of Buhl Planetarium
Art in Pittsburgh’s Original Buhl Planetarium
Buhl Planetarium Quick History & Current Building Use by Children's Museum
Historic
Buhl Exhibits Now Displayed at The
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie
Science Center
Building Physical Plant -
Architectural
Studies, Floor Plans, and
Technical
Specifications
Building
Overview
Building
Exterior Photographs
Photographs
of Building
Construction
Construction of Buhl Planetarium --
*
Construction Photographs
*
Outer Planetarium Dome
Major Facilities of Buhl Planetarium
Art in Pittsburgh’s Original Buhl Planetarium
Historical
Artifacts and Equipment Which
Remain in Buhl Building
Historic Equipment and Artifacts to be Preserved
Buhl Planetarium Property, Equipment, and Artifacts, Legally Owned by the City of Pittsburgh --
*
General Information
*
Inventory of City of Pittsburgh Assets, Originated at Buhl Planetarium, Moved to The Carnegie Science Center
*
City of Pittsburgh Inventory of "Buhl Planetarium Assets" 2002 January 23
Friends of the Zeiss Response to City RFP: Buhl Planetarum Equipment & Artifacts
Buhl Planetarium Nominated by
Friends of the Zeiss To Be Historic Landmark
Buhl "Firsts" and World Records
Buhl Planetarium Quick History & Current Building Use by Children's Museum
Alumni of Buhl Planetarium and
Biographies Related to Buhl Planetarium and/or Astronomy In-General -
Alumni of Buhl Planetarium:
* Proof
of the Pudding:
Achievements of Buhl Alumni, 1939-1989
*
Buhl Planetarium Exhibits Staff from the late 1980s
*
Jay Apt - Space Shuttle Astronaut
* Christopher J. Bonar, VMD, Associate Veterinarian, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: Former Buhl director Carl Wapiennik was very kind to me as a teenager in the early 1980's. He let me review the file on the
Tesla coil in the
Board Room when I was researching it to build a similar one. Because of this interaction, I was able to write to and talk by phone with Buhl Tesla coil builder George A. Kaufmann. He was 88 years old, but still very sharp. With his advice, I was able to build a similar coil, and am still a Tesla enthusiast.
I later studied biology at Harvard University and received my V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Several of my fellow Pittsburghers who were science majors also learned a lot at the Buhl. It influenced generations of scientists....more than anyone realizes!
*
Thomas Bopp - Co-discoverer of
Comet Hale-Bopp. A Youngstown, Ohio resident, who was inspired by visits to Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science.
*
Benjamin Byrer, who painted seven large astronomical murals for Buhl Planetarium's Hall of the Universe.
*
Eric G. Canali - Former Buhl Planetarium Floor Manager
*
David E. Chesebrough, Ed.D. - President and Chief Executive Officer, Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio; also see
Buhl Exhibits Staff from the late 1980s. Assistant Director of the Allegheny Square Annex (name given to original Buhl Planetarium building, 1991 to 1994), The Carnegie Science Center, tutorial center where Carnegie Science Center Science and Computer classes (including Astronomy classes in the original Buhl Planetaarium Theater of the Stars and Observatory) were taught, until February of 1994 when the classes were consolidated into the new Science Center building and the Buhl Planetarium building was abandoned (1991 to 1994).
*
Arthur L. Draper - Second Buhl Planetarium Director (1940 to 1967)
*
Norman M. Downey - Former Buhl Planetarium Volunteer Manager; member of Steering Committee of
Friends of the Zeiss
*
Mike Fincke - International Space Station Astronaut
*
Francis G. Graham - Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Kent State University;
Founder of American Lunar Society
*
James B. Irwin - Eighth man to walk on the Moon!
* George A. Kaufmann, builder of Buhl Planetarium's
1,200,000-volt Oudin-type Tesla Coil.
*
Jim Krenn - Long-time (since 1988) morning radio personality on
WDVE-FM 102.5 MegaHertz; formerly
Tour Guide (Floor Aide) at Buhl Planetarium.
*
Caroljo Lee Henderson - Former Buhl Planetarium Public Relations Director
* Alice L. Lin - Former Buhl Planetarium Floor Aide - Photos at Thomas Jefferson High School graduation:
Image 1 *
Image 2 *
Image 3
*
Clark McClelland - Former Astronomy instructor at Buhl Planetarium;
Mr. McClelland's web site:
Stargate Chronicles.
*
Herman Mike - Served on the Maintenance staff of Buhl Planetarium from 1958 to 1991, after the closure of
Boggs and Buhl Department Store, where he was employed in a similar capacity.
*
Barry M. Mitnick, Ph.D. - Buhl Planetarium supporter and member of Steering Committee of Friends of the Zeiss
*
James J. Mullaney - Started teaching at original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and observing at the University of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory at age 16! By the late 1960s and early 1970s he was Curator of Exhibits and Astronomy at Buhl Planetarium and Staff Astronomer at Allegheny Observatory. Also see
radio interview and
1970 eclipse.
*
Mike Murray, Programs Manager,
Clark Planetarium, Salt Lake City -
"Wow, I wish I would have known about this publication
("Lives Touched...Worlds Changed," Fifty Years of Alumni Achievements at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium) when it was
being produced. I could have contributed! My very first planetarium
experience was at the old Buhl in 1965, at 7 years old. (There, now
you know how old I really am!) For me, it was definitely a life-
altering moment. It was a basic sky show, but the sensation of the
domed theater, the realism of the sky, the drama of the presentation,
the opening of the mind - all of those emotions come rushing back
whenever I think of it. It's certainly the reason I became interested
in science, pursuing a career in astrophysics and then to science
communications. But there was something about the "soul" of the show
presenter - there was an awe-inspiring drama to the presentation that
made it feel special, captivating, eye-opening. It was those
attributes of the show that "got me," and I've been trying to re-
create those sensations for others in every show I do. Thank you Buhl
Planetarium..." (2008 September 3)
*
Paul Oles (Olejniczak) - Third Buhl Planetarium Director (1967 to 1991).
*
Gary Purinton, retired Planetarium Teacher (retired after 25 years in June of 2005) at Falls Church High School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia (suburban Washington, D.C.), now living back in his home town of Clarion, Pennsylvania (about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh). He was the originator of the
Fairfax County School System Planetarium Web Site
and also
served as Vice-President of the
Analemma Society:
"I wish I'd known about the
Buhl Planetarium book, too
(also see entry for
Mike Murray).
My first experience was probably at about seven years of age, too. However,
that would have been 1957 for me. Every time my parents hinted that we might make the two hour trip down to Pittsburgh, I started begging them to go to the Buhl. I'm sure the experience contributed to my interest in science, but even more sure that it inspired me to eventually become a planetarian." (2008 September 4)
*
Martin Ratcliffe - Fourth Buhl Planetarium Director (1991).
*
Paul M. Ricker - Assistant Professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois and a Research Scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Formerly a student volunteer for the
Astronomical Observatory at the original Buhl Planetarium.
*
Gwen (Jennifer Katherine) Roolf - 1984 Buhl Planetarium youth volunteer, who participated in research with the
California and Carnegie Planet Search Project in 2005.
*
Yuri A. Saito-Loftus, M.D. - Volunteer at original Buhl Planetarium; Medical Researcher at Mayo Clinic
*
Leo J. Scanlon - Co-Founder of Amateur Astronomers' Association of Pittsburgh;
One of first two Buhl Planetarium Lecturers (the other was Allegheny Observatory Director Nicholas E. Wagman)
*
Garth E. Schafer - Computer Learning Lab Volunteer and later Manager (1984 to 1991).
* Harlow Shapley - Noted 20th Century Astrononer:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2 ***
Bio 3
Keynote Speaker at Dedication of Buhl Planetarium Observatory
* Daniel Owen Stephens - Pennsylvania Astronomical Artist and Architect, Whose Paintings Were Displayed at Buhl Planetarium, 1939-1991:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2 ***
List of Paintings Displayed at Buhl Planetarium
*
James S. Stokley - First Buhl Planetarium Director (1939 to 1940)
*
David Topper - Professor of History of Science, University of Winnipeg
*
Glenn A. Walsh - Former Buhl Planetarium Lecturer and Astronomical Observatory Coordinator; member of Steering Committee of Friends of the Zeiss; and
Author of this Internet Web Site
*
Carl F. Wapiennik, retired in 1983 as Vice President, Operations, of then-newly renamed Buhl Science Center.
*
Nicholas E. Wagman - One of the first two Buhl Planetarium Lecturers (the other was Amateur Astronomers' Association of Pittsburgh Co-founder Leo J. Scanlon) when Buhl Planetarium opened in 1939; at the time he was Director of the Allegheny Observatory.
*
John D. Weinhold - Former Buhl Planetarium Observatory volunteer; member of Steering Committee of Friends of the Zeiss
*
Joseph Yeager, Ph.D. - Chairman of Sommer Consulting, Inc., a licensed psychologist, a venture capitalist, a Diplomate of the American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE) and a national board member of the ACFE division, the American Board of Law Enforcement Experts (ABLEE). Dr. Yeager credits his career choice to the original Buhl Planetarium and lectures by long-time Planetarium Director
Arthur Draper.
*
Pittsburgh-Area Astronauts --
James B. Irwin ***
Judith A. Resnik ***
Jay Apt ***
Mike Fincke
NASA Administrator
James C. Fletcher ***
NASA Flight Director
Heather Rarick
* Tycho Brahe - 16th century Astronomer:
Bio ***
Classic Buhl Planetarium Astronomy exhibit "Tycho Brahe's Mural Quadrant"
* John A. Brashear - Astronomer, Educator, Optician --
Web Site ***
Biographical Fact Sheet
*
Henry Buhl, Jr. - Bequest created Buhl Foundation which built Buhl Planetarium
*
Frank Tisdale Bretherton - Construction Superintendent for the erection of Buhl Planetarium's exterior dome
*
Madame Maria Sklodowska Curie - A Polish Scientist; Discoverer of Elements Radium and Polonium.
* Jeremiah Dixon - Surveyor and Astronomer,
who with fellow Englishman
Charles Mason (Astronomer and acquaintance of
Benjamin Franklin) surveyed the famous
Mason-Dixon Line, 1763-1767, as the official boundary line between the English colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland--as well as a small portion of the line eventually forming the official boundary between the American states of Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia), and an extension of this line to the Ohio River forming the boundary between Marshall and Wetzel Counties in present-day West Virginia.
* Reginald A. Fessenden - University of Pittsburgh Engineering Professor Reginald A. Fessenden demonstrated first wireless voice broadcast on Christmas Eve of 1906:
Falloon, Katie.
"Radio pioneer set stage for cell phones."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2010 July 28.
*
Jean Bernard Léon Foucault - Inventor of
Foucault Pendulum and
Siderostat-type Telescope (Both at original
Buhl Planetarium)
*
Benjamin Franklin - Famous author, printer, scientist, inventor, politician, diplomat, nation's first Postmaster General, and one of the leading founders of the United States of America. He was an acquaintance of English Astronomer
Charles Mason who surveyed the Mason-Dixon Line.
*
Edmond Halley - English Astronomer who first calcuated orbit of Halley's Comet. The
Astronomical Observatory of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium provided special observing nights for the public to view Halley's Comet during the apparition of Autumn, 1985 through Spring,, 1986. In addition to Buhl Planetarium's primary telescope, the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, a 13-inch Dobsonian Reflector Telescope was also purchased for the "Halley Watch" program and used on the east and west outdoor wings of the Observatory. On certain evenings, people stood in line, in the first floor's Great Hall, for more than an hour to have the opportunity to view Halley's Comet through one of Buhl Planetarium's telescopes. As the 1985-1986 apparition of Halley's Comet did not come as close to Earth as did the 1910 apparition [when
John Brashear hosted telescope observing of Halley's Comet at the new
Allegheny Observatory], Buhl Planetarium could not guarentee how good a view could be seen through the telescopes by the public, and hence, only charged one dollar for the Comet viewing. Although, at this time, Buhl Planetarium's third floor Observatory was not accessible to wheelchairs [visitors had to climb steps to reach the second and third floors], on a couple occasions when a wheelchair patron wished to view the Comet, several staff members and volunteers simply carried the patron, wheelchair and all, up the steps to the Observatory. Regular weekly, evening public observing sessions [every Friday evening (7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., following the 7:00 p.m. planetarium show), weather-permitting, year-round] in Buhl Planetarium's Observatory were restored about a month [1986 June 13] following the conclusion of the "Halley Watch."
* Elisabetha Hevelius - Wife and observatory assistant of Johannes Hevelius:
Bio ***
Classic Buhl Planetarium Astronomy exhibit "Observatory of Hevelius"
* Johannes Hevelius - 17th century Astronomer; husband of Elisabetha:
Bio ***
Classic Buhl Planetarium Astronomy exhibit "Observatory of Hevelius"
*
James Edward Keeler - Director of Allegheny Observatory (1891);
Pioneered Astronomical Spectroscopy
*
Sameuel Pierpont Langley - Director of Allegheny Observatory (1867); Secretary of Smithsonian Institution (1887)
Developed new science of Astrophysics; pioneered heavier-than-air motorized flight
*
Charles Mason - Astronomer, an acquaintance of
Benjamin Franklin, who with fellow Englishman
Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the famous
Mason-Dixon Line, 1763-1767, as the official boundary line between the English colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland--as well as a small portion of the line eventually forming the official boundary between the American states of Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia), and an extension of this line to the Ohio River forming the boundary between Marshall and Wetzel Counties in present-day West Virginia.
*
David Rittenhouse - Renowned American Astronomer and Surveyor, from Philadelphia, who completed the survey of the Mason-Dixon Line in 1784, to the now-existing southwest corner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (problems with area Indians had prevented Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon from completing the survey in 1767). Later surveyors extended this line to the Ohio River forming the boundary between Marshall and Wetzel Counties in present-day West Virginia.
* Harlow Shapley - Noted 20th Century Astrononer:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2 ***
Bio 3
Keynote Speaker at Dedication of Buhl Planetarium Observatory
* Daniel Owen Stephens - Pennsylvania Astronomical Artist and Architect, Whose Paintings Were Displayed at Buhl Planetarium, 1939-1991:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2 ***
List of Paintings Displayed at Buhl Planetarium
Astronomers Whose Names Are
Inscribed on Buhl Planetarium Exterior Walls,
Below Outer Planetarium Dome -
*
Sir Isaac Newton
* Galileo Galilei:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2
* Johannes Kepler:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2 ***
Quotes
* Tycho Brahe:
Bio ***
Classic Buhl Planetarium Astronomy exhibit "Tycho Brahe's Mural Quadrant"
* Nicolaus Copernicus:
Bio ***
Info Regarding Portrait Displayed at Buhl Planetarium
* Claudius Ptolemy:
Bio 1 ***
Bio 2
*
Hipparchus
Major Astronomical Events Observed by --
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science or Friends of the Zeiss
Eclipse of the Sun / Solar Eclipse:
Tips For Safe Viewing
Important days in history of universe
* 1969 July 20 -
The Historic Mission of Apollo 11, Man Walks on the Moon for the First Time
* 1970 March 7 -
Eclipse of the Sun
Buhl Planetarium Curator of Exhibits and Astronomy,
James J. Mullaney, observed this Total Eclipse of the Sun within the path
of totality, at the
Association for Research & Enlightenment (A.R.E.), 215 67th Street in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Also, due to its occurance on a Saturday [late morning/early afternoon], when regular weekday
television programs [i.e. "soap operas"] would not be pre-empted, the Totality portion
of this Eclipse was broadcast, live, on two American television networks:
*
NBC-TV News, televised in color from Mexico
[Sponsored by the Pittsburgh-based Gulf Oil Corp., which also sponsored NBC-TV coverage of
manned space exploration missions in the 1960s and early 1970s].
*
CBS-TV News, apparently televised using color cameras, but poor viewing conditions and poor camera technology
made the eclipse images not much better than a black-and-white television image
[Sponsored by the Western Electric division of American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T)/Bell System].
View YouTube video of CBS-TV broadcast (in six parts) at
this link.
Additional information:
Link 1 ***
Link 2.
Fanning, Win.
"The Monday Miscellany." Column.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 1970 March 9.
Review of television coverage of 1970 March 7 total eclipse of the Sun.
* 1972 July 10 -
Eclipse of the Sun - White Sulphur Springs WV: Partial Eclipse
Radio reception experiment during Eclipse of Sun.
Anecdote: Eclipse mentioned in popular song before event!
* 1975 April 2 - Dyke, Barb V., et.al.
"Saturn Through the Buhl Planetarium Heliostat."
Report of the Alternative Curriculum Astronomy Workshop,
The Tripoli Federation, Pittsburgh 1975 April 2.
* 1982 July 6 -
Eclipse of the Moon - Pittsburgh: Total Eclipse --
Buhl Planetarium: Observing Party for Buhl Members
* 1983 September 24 -
Conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus (whereby Uranus can be easily found)
* 1984 May 30 -
Eclipse of the Sun -
Partial Solar Eclipse viewed in the Astronomical Observatory of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium.
* 1985 June 21 -
Annual Summer "Solstice Day" event at Buhl Planetarium
* 1986 Jan. 28 -
Challenger Disaster Viewed at Buhl Planetarium
* 1991 July 11 -
Eclipse of the Sun - Pittsburgh: Partial Eclipse
Radio reception experiment during Eclipse of Sun.
News article from the 1991 July 11 issue of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
* 1994 May 10 -
Eclipse of the Sun - Northeast, Erie County PA (Mercyhurst College Observatory):
Annular Eclipse
Observed by Glenn A. Walsh and John D. Weinhold.
Part of this eclipse was broadcast, live, on Erie television station WJET-TV 24.
* 1995 May 18 -
Citizens Stop Sale of Buhl Planetarium's historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector and 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope to Out-of-State College
* 1998 February 26 -
Eclipse of the Sun -
Partial Solar Eclipse viewed in Library Park of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Canegie PA: Partial Eclipse
Eclipse Photos
* 2000 December 25 -
Eclipse of the Sun - Mt. Lebanon PA:
Partial Eclipse
Observed by Glenn A. Walsh
* 2001 December 14 -
Eclipse of the Sun -
Pittsburgh: Partial Eclipse
* 2002 June 10 -
Eclipse of the Sun -
Pittsburgh: Partial Eclipse
* 2004 June 8 -
Transit Across Solar Disk of Planet Venus - Pittsburgh
* 2004 October 27 -
Eclipse of the Moon -
Pittsburgh: Total Eclipse (Deep Eclipse)
* 2005 April 8 -
Eclipse of the Sun -
East Pittsburgh PA (Christina Alley Observatory): Partial Eclipse (Very Slight)
* 2005 July 26 - Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science Designated City Historic Landmark:
Link 1 ***
Link 2
* 2005 October 17 - Observation Report (issued 2005 November 1) of
Partial Eclipse of Moon, 2005 October 17:
Observer: Professor
Francis G. Graham, Kent State University
(also Founder of the American Lunar Society and Steering Committee member,
Friends of the Zeiss)
Location: Beall Hall, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
(Beall Hall: 285 degrees Azimuth; Moonset was at 283 degrees Azimuth)
Photograph: Part of Moon in Umbra, shortly after U1 contact.
Eclipse of the Sun / Solar Eclipse:
Tips For Safe Viewing
Professional Conferences Attended by Friends of the Zeiss
Other History Links
History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries
History of Astronomer, Educator, and Optician John A. Brashear
Friend of Andrew Carnegie
History of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Carnegie,
Pennsylvania
Fourth library constructed and endowed by Andrew Carnegie.
History of the Civil War Museum of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library,
Carnegie, Pennsylvania
Captain Thomas Espy Post, Number 153, Grand Army of the Republic
Antique Telescope Society and
information regarding the Society's September, 2001 Convention in Pittsburgh.
History of The
Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
America's Fifth Major Planetarium
Including
oldest, operable major planetarium projector in the world !
History of the Astronomical Observatory of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute
of Popular Science, Pittsburgh
Including second largest Siderostat-type telescope.
History of the Great Miniature Railroad and Village of The Buhl Planetarium and
Institute of Popular Science, Pgh.
History of The
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum,
Chicago, Illinois
America's First Major Planetarium
History of the Allegheny Observatory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -
Link 1 ***
Link 2
History of the Lower North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Allegheny City Society,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Preserving the history of Allegheny City and Pittsburgh's North Side
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks
Foundation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh
Regional History Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Operated by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Andrew
Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries Photo Album
History
Cover Page for the
Andrew
Carnegie Free Library and Music
Hall, Carnegie, Pennsylvania
History Cover
Page for The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Historic cable car railway serving commuters and tourists since 1877 !
Historic Old Saint Luke Church, Burial
Ground and Garden, Carnegie, Pennsylvania
The Camelot?[??s International Philanthropy Museum[in planning]
Your Use of
Museum's Web Portal, for Searches, Helps Raise Funds for Museum--At NO COST To
You!
Quick-Reference
Page - Historic Attractions
Other Related Links
Authored By
Glenn A. Walsh
Sponsored By
Friends of the Zeiss
This Internet Web Page: <
http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >
Internet Web Cover Page: <
http://www.planetarium.cc >
Electronic Mail: <
Jake@planetarium.cc >
Internet Web Site Master Index for
the History of
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science,
Pittsburgh
Disclaimer Statement: This Internet Web Site is not affiliated with the Andrew Carnegie Free Library,
Ninth Pennsylvania
Reserves Civil War Reenactment Group,
Henry Buhl, Jr.
Planetarium and Observatory,
The
Carnegie Science
Center, The
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Institute,
or
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
This Internet, World Wide Web Site administered by Glenn A.
Walsh.
Unless otherwise indicated, all pages in this web site are --
© Copyright 1999-2011,
Glenn A. Walsh, All Rights Reserved.
The author thanks
The Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh and the
Three Rivers Free-Net
for use of their digital scanner and
other computer equipment, and other
assistance provided in the production of this web site.
Internet Web Site Credits and Special Thanks.
Contact Web Site Administrator:
Jake@planetarium.cc
This Internet Web Site originally created 1999 September 5; moved to Lycos' Tripod.com
domain 2000 August 8.
Last modified : Monday, 16-May-2011 05:25:31 EDT.
You are visitor number , to this web page,
since 2000 August 8.
|