James Van Trump Note Cards

In 1959, Pittsburgh historian James Van Trump, co-founder of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, wrote an in-depth article "Solitude" and the nether depths: The Pittsburgh Estate of George Westinghouse and its gas well, which can be found in TWL’s archives.

Recently, PHLF launched its James Van Trump Database Project, which provides access to his book Life and Architecture in Pittsburgh. The project’s main focus, however, is a searchable database of scanned images of more than 4000 hand-written note cards that Van Trump amassed over the course of his career.

It is a rare gift into the organization of a singular and remarkable mind. As a sample, here are four cards Van Trump wrote in preparation for his above mentioned Solitude article.