Pittsburgh: A Geek History

Pittsburgh may not be the first city that comes to mind when one thinks of Geek Culture, but the Steel City has played a key role in its development just the same. From dinosaur excavations in the early 1900s to the development of the first robot in the 1920s, the first movie theater to the birth of the modern zombie, Pittsburgh has left an indelible mark on popular culture. The city may be better known for its sports teams and former steel mills but its Geek History is just as noteworthy and significant nonetheless.

1960 World Science Fiction Convention

The 18th Worldcon, also known as Pittcon, was held in Pittsburgh during September 1960, featuring some of the greatest authors of the sci-fi medium and the debut of multiple fan clubs.

1975 Star Trektacular and Twelfth Night

The Steel City hosted a fan-organized Star Trek convention in December 1975 that coincided with the Shakespearean debut of Spock actor Leonard Nimoy at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Allegheny City and the Silent Film Era

The present-day North Side of Pittsburgh was the birthplace of two stars of the silent film era of Hollywood, actor Thomas Meighan and the first American-born female director, Lois Weber.

Arcade Comedy Theater and the Carousel

A 1940s nightclub named the Carousal was located on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh near the present-day Arcade Comedy Theater and witnessed a steady stream of legendary performers.

Arch: The Steel City Transformer

Originally created for the city’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2008, the twenty-foot Transformer-like sculpture is now located on the landside of Pittsburgh International Airport.

Bertha Lamme: Pioneering Westinghouse Engineer

The first American woman to earn a degree in mechanical engineering was briefly employed at Westinghouse at the end of the nineteenth century and is spotlighted at the Heinz History Center.

Bill Cardille and Chiller Theater

The late-night horror movie showcase was a Saturday night staple in the Steel City for twenty years, airing from 1963 until 1983, thanks in no small part to host Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille.

Birth of the Living Dead

The 2013 documentary examines the classic Pittsburgh zombie film Night of the Living Dead and contains many anecdotes from director George A. Romero regarding the production.

Captain Kirk and Carnegie Mellon University

In preparation for their book I’m Working on That, actor William Shatner and Pittsburgh author Chip Walter visited CMU to learn about robotics and virtual realities.

Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute

Author Lee Gutkind offers an overview of the Pittsburgh institution in his book Almost Human: Making Robots Think, based on inside access to the cutting-edge facility.

Cloudy with a Chance of Pickles

The follow-up to Judi Barrett’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs follows the city of Chewandswallow as it ships its excess food around the world, including pickles to Pittsburgh.

Congressman James Fulton and US Space Policy

The Pittsburgh area congressmen served on the House Science and Astronautics Committee in the 1960s and helped ensure funding for both the Apollo moon missions and Space Shuttle program.

DinoMite Days: Pittsburgh as Jurassic Park

In 2003, the Steel City was overrun by dinosaurs as part of an art exhibit sponsored by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History that highlighted the region’s past, present, and future.

Dippy, the World’s Most Famous Dinosaur

Although a life-size statue and the original fossils of the dinosaur reside in Pittsburgh, skeletal replicas of the famed Diplodocus carnegii can also be found in museums around the world.

From Pittsburgh to the Moon

Companies and natives from the Pittsburgh region played instrumental roles in the success of the Apollo 11 moon landing, from construction of the Lunar Module to the plaque on its ladder.

George Ferris and the 1893 Chicago Exposition

The Pittsburgh-based engineer constructed the world’s first Ferris Wheel for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago as an answer to Alexandre Gustave Eiffel’s Tower of 1889.

H.J. Heinz: The Man and His Company

A permanent exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center showcases the important role that the ketchup titan and his company played in the development of the prepared foods industry.

Jack Kerouac and the Pittsburgh Plymouths

Many cross-country travelers have passed through Pittsburgh, including Beat writer Jack Kerouac, who featured the city in a fantasy baseball league and served as both manager and player.

Jackie Ormes and African American Comic Strips

The first African American female cartoonist was born in the Steel City and created two successful comic strips, Patty-Jo ’n’ Ginger and Torchy in Heartbeats, for the national Pittsburgh Courier.

Jim Shooter: The Trouble Shooter of Comics

The Pittsburgh native began his career as a writer for DC Comics at the age of fourteen and eventually rose to editor-in-chief of rival Marvel in the late 1970s, a position he held for nine years.

Joe Letteri: From Pittsburgh to Middle-earth

The Aliquippa native helped destroy a Klingon moon and brought dinosaurs to life in Jurassic Park before joining Weta Digital and working on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Matt Baker: A Golden Age Legend

One of the first African American comic book artists was raised in Pittsburgh and made his mark during the 1940s and 50s with classic illustrations of female characters.

Monster Bash: It’s a Graveyard Smash

The annual three-day convention spotlighting old monster movies, sci-fi films from the 1950s and cult TV from the 60s has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1997.

Nellie Bly’s Race Around the World

In 1889, the Pittsburgh-bred female journalist embarked on a solo journey around the world to break the fictional record set by Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days.

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