Guide to the Trinity Court Studio Photographs 1861-1944
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Trinity Court Studio Photographs
- Creator
- Trinity Court Studio (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Collection Number
- PSS 0044
- Extent
- 2 linear feet (Four boxes)
- Date
- 1861-1944
- Abstract
- Trinity Court Studio was a photography studio owned by Ralph W. Johnston and located on the seventh floor of the Granite Building in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa. The collection consists of photographs, glass plate negatives, negatives, and nitrate film. The images are mostly of buildings, portraits of individuals, and portraits of groups throughout Pittsburgh.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This collection has been made accessible as part of an NHPRC-funded Basic Processing grant.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
Trinity Court Studio was a photography studio located on the seventh floor of the Granite Building at 313 Sixth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa. Ralph W. Johnston, a portrait and architecture photographer, opened the studio in the mid-1920s after working under his own name since 1893. He was the first photographer in Pittsburgh to use flashbulbs which enabled him to make high-quality, detailed prints. The Heinz family and other wealthy clients in Pittsburgh commissioned Johnston to make one-of-a-kind photograph albums that depicted their lives. His other commissions included making the Carnegie Institute's Founder's Day group photographs and making photographs of events in wealthy families' lives, such as Helen Clay Frick's debut.
It is unclear when Trinity Court Studio closed. Ralph W. Johnston died in 1962.
Scope and Content Notes
The collection consists of photographs (1900-1944), glass plate negatives (1861-1936), negatives (1896-1936), and nitrate film (undated). Most of the photographs and negatives are of office buildings, churches, synagogues, businesses, hospitals and schools throughout Pittsburgh. Some examples are B'nai Israel Synagogue, the Cathedral of Learning, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Koppers Building and Children's Hospital. A few of the photographs are of individuals and groups, such as Miss June Rule and the Stephen Foster Memorial Choir. The glass plate negatives depict groups such as the Duquesne Greys at Allegheny Arsenal, and events such as a 1929 game at Pitt Stadium between Carnegie Tech and Notre Dame. Neighborhoods represented throughout the collection include Oakland and downtown Pittsburgh.
Arrangement
The Trinity Court Studio Photographs are in four archival boxes. The photographs (1900-1944) are in box 1. The glass plate negatives (1861-1936) are in box 2. The negatives (1896-1936) are in box 3, and the nitrate film (undated) is in box 4.
Conditions Governing Access
None.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift from Daniel A. Graham in 2002.
Archives accession # 2002.0156
Preferred Citation
Trinity Court Studio Photographs, 1861-1944, PSS 0044, Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Kelly J. Smith on 02/13/2012. Inventory created by volunteer staff in 2002.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Subjects
- Trinity Court Studio (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Johnston, Ralph b.1873-d.1962
- Downtown, Pittsburgh (Pa.)
- Oakland, Pittsburgh (Pa.)
- Pittsburgh (Pa.) – Buildings, structures, etc.