Cathedral of Learning (Continuing Work)
Dublin Core
Title
Cathedral of Learning (Continuing Work)
Description
From 1933-1934 federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) “workers in Pittsburgh had helped move the forty-two-story Cathedral of Learning at the heart of the University of Pittsburgh closer to completion".
Creator
Jeannette Essimi-Menye
Source
https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/cathedral-of-learning-pittsburgh-pa/
Date
10/18/2019
Rights
Creative Commons
Place-Based Stories Item Type Metadata
Date
10/18/2019
Format
Item 1 is a photo taken from a Samsung phone and is a photo of the site in JPEG form
Item 2 is a video that was taken at the site on a Samsung phone to capture both the scale of the building and the ambient sound. It is formatted as an mp4
Narrative
I chose this sight both out of necessity and interest. Earlier this year I first encountered the Cathedral of Learning while on a trip to the University of Pittsburgh where my sister is a student. She recounted that this is the largest academic building in the western hemisphere and has been affectionately referred to as Cathy by the students.
Considering the magnitude of this building and its original commission date (1921) and its completion date (1934) it is not unlikely that the project was originally postponed because of the Great Depression. Eventually it was used as construction site through the CWA to help employ more people seeking work in the area.
It is particularly interesting to revisit Cathy not as a tourist but as a student completing my work. It's towering arches and Gothic embellishments have been relegated to the backdrop of everyday life as students move towards their classrooms. This I think is the most interesting thing about the project and this building and my ability to capture it all on my phone. This documentary project becomes more about observing the ordinary lives of people as they make use of the foundations that were built for them. This site highlights the ordinary lives of the students who attend school at the University of Pittsburgh and in this way echos older documentary styles. Remarking on peoples existence in their natural habitat.
Considering the magnitude of this building and its original commission date (1921) and its completion date (1934) it is not unlikely that the project was originally postponed because of the Great Depression. Eventually it was used as construction site through the CWA to help employ more people seeking work in the area.
It is particularly interesting to revisit Cathy not as a tourist but as a student completing my work. It's towering arches and Gothic embellishments have been relegated to the backdrop of everyday life as students move towards their classrooms. This I think is the most interesting thing about the project and this building and my ability to capture it all on my phone. This documentary project becomes more about observing the ordinary lives of people as they make use of the foundations that were built for them. This site highlights the ordinary lives of the students who attend school at the University of Pittsburgh and in this way echos older documentary styles. Remarking on peoples existence in their natural habitat.
Collection
Citation
Jeannette Essimi-Menye, “Cathedral of Learning (Continuing Work),” HIST 390 The Digital Past: A Cultural New Deal, accessed September 17, 2026, https://jessicadoeshistory.com/cnd/items/show/245.