{"id":2079,"date":"2013-02-06T11:01:15","date_gmt":"2013-02-06T11:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=2079"},"modified":"2015-01-08T17:35:19","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T22:35:19","slug":"pittsburgh-welcomes-charles-lindbergh-greatest-of-all-flying-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/02\/06\/pittsburgh-welcomes-charles-lindbergh-greatest-of-all-flying-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh welcomes Charles Lindbergh, “greatest of all flying men”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Lindbergh <\/a>
Lindbergh was treated to a ticker-tape parade on Smithfield Street. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Lindbergh <\/a>
Lindbergh emerges from the William Penn Hotel. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
A crowd of 900 attended a banquet honoring Lindbergh at the Grand Ballroom. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Newspaper <\/a>
Newspaper clipping from the day after Lindbergh’s visit. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Aug. 3, 1927:<\/strong>\u00a0Quite often we find only fragments of history in the Post-Gazette photo library. Such is the case with the file titled, \u201cLindbergh, Charles: visit to Pittsburgh, 1927.\u201d The file contains a number of images and clippings, nearly all of which have been cut, folded, broken, heavily airbrushed or damaged by age. What remains are items that read like epic novels with missing chapters.<\/p>\n

Both the Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press gave extensive coverage to the famous pilot\u2019s visit. \u201cLindy,\u201d as the press called him, was honored before a packed crowd at Pitt Stadium. Prints from that event are missing from our files. A stunning picture of Lindbergh\u2019s plane the \u201cSpirit of St. Louis\u201d surrounded by thousands of people at McKeesport\u2019s Bettis Field was published on the Press front page, but we had no luck finding the original print.<\/p>\n

In the surviving photographs, we see glimpses of a city and a man coming of age. During a ticker-tape parade, people stand 12 deep along Smithfield Street. Lindbergh, young and handsome and brimming with calm confidence, emerges from the William Penn Hotel. And 900 of the city\u2019s most important and powerful people gather at the hotel\u2019s Grand \u00a0Ballroom for a banquet to honor Lindbergh. We found a yellowed clipping of this event, but only half of the original print survives.<\/p>\n

At the time of Lindbergh\u2019s visit, Pittsburgh\u2019s population was approximately 600,000, ranking it as one of America\u2019s 10 largest cities, and its industrial strength was known throughout the world. Certainly it was a place fit for a visit from an aviator who\u2019d emerged from nowhere to become one of the world\u2019s most admired people.<\/p>\n

When Lindbergh visited Pittsburgh he was much like the city \u2014 full of youth and dreams and potential. He had secured his place in history with a non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic. Tragedy would soon stalk him. On his own, he would find controversy, though he remains an aviation icon. The city he visited would grow in industrial strength, help win wars, then suffer painful decline before embracing a new identity. A lifetime after the man and the city met, we have only fragments to remind us of what both had been on that day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the surviving photographs, we see glimpses of a city and a man coming of age.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesPittsburgh welcomes Charles Lindbergh, “greatest of all flying men”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[948],"tags":[958,980,1218,1031,1050],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/tumblr_mhggjyehIl1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C761&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/01\/11\/may-2-1932-the-trial-of-pittsburgh-mayor\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":0},"title":"The trial of Pittsburgh Mayor Charles Kline","date":"January 11, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Charles Kline (he\u2019s the one smoking the cigarette) can be remembered for many things.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-12.04.12-AM.png?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1141,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/12\/11\/requiem-for-a-newsroom-at-the-pittsburgh-sun-telegraph\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":1},"title":"\u00a0Requiem for a newsroom at the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph","date":"December 11, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The newsroom itself was a dump with dingy, uneven pine floors and rattling windows.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/tumblr_mxkb7dlk6U1rr5swxo5_1280.jpg?fit=1008%2C756&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2292,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/11\/14\/gas-explosions-in-1927-on-pittsburghs-north-side\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":2},"title":"Gas explosions in 1927 on Pittsburgh’s North Side","date":"November 14, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The tanks were never rebuilt. Today, the Rivers Casino occupies the site.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/tumblr_mdeci1rxx31rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C905&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1130,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/12\/16\/czar-of-pittsburgh-police\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":3},"title":"Czar of Pittsburgh Police","date":"December 16, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Nate Harper? No. Things used to be worse. Much worse.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/tumblr_mxtc1fPIB21rr5swxo2_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C930&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8124,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/08\/02\/the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-celebrates-90-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":4},"title":"The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Celebrates 90 Years","date":"August 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Though we\u2019ve still got some spring in our step, we can\u2019t lie: the Post-Gazette is a bit long in the tooth. Luckily we don\u2019t have to worry too much about going gray \u2014 that\u2019s the nice thing about newsprint. Today marks the 90th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Post and Gazette\u2026","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/PG1A1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6588,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2016\/03\/09\/fainting-bertha-and-other-rats-of-pittsburghs-underworld\/","url_meta":{"origin":2079,"position":5},"title":"Fainting Bertha and other “rats” of Pittsburgh’s underworld","date":"March 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"She and her fellow \"dips\" were the most despised of the city's criminal element","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Digs.previewImage.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2079"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4359,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079\/revisions\/4359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}