{"product_id":"from-the-steel-city-to-the-white-city-western-pennsylvania-and-the-worlds-columbian-exposition-9780822947912","title":"From the Steel City to the White City: Western Pennsylvania and the World's Columbian Exposition","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow Pittsburgh Positioned Itself as a Center of Culture and Innovation at the Turn of the Century \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eFrom the Steel City to the White City\u003c\/i\u003e, Zachary Brodt explores Western Pennsylvania's representation at Chicago's Columbian Exposition, the first major step in demonstrating that Pittsburgh was more than simply America's crucible--it was also a region of developing culture and innovation. The 1893 Columbian Exposition presented a chance for the United States to prove to the world that it was an industrial giant ready to become a global superpower. At the same time, Pittsburgh, a commercial center that formerly served as a starting point for western expansion, found itself serving as a major transportation, and increasingly industrial, hub during this period of extensive growth. Natural resources like petroleum and coal allowed Western Pennsylvania to become one of the largest iron- and steel-producing regions in the world. The Chicago fairgrounds provided a lucrative opportunity for area companies not only to provide construction materials but to display the region's many products. While Pittsburgh's most famous contributions to the 1893 World's Fair--alternating current electricity and the Ferris wheel--had a lasting impact on the United States and the world, other exhibits provided a snapshot of the area's industries, natural resources, and inventions. The success of these exhibits, Brodt reveals, launched local companies into the twentieth century, ensuring a steady flow of work, money, and prestige\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Pittsburgh Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/21\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780822947912\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 264","brand":"Zachary L. Brodt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43140466966709,"sku":"9780822947912","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_ebaf67a9-9ef7-432b-9a88-1c66ba54fac8.jpg?v=1695699813","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/from-the-steel-city-to-the-white-city-western-pennsylvania-and-the-worlds-columbian-exposition-9780822947912","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}