Palace of Culture

Palace of Culture: Andrew Carnegie’s Museums and Library in Pittsburgh, a long-awaited history of Carnegie’s remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh, was written by former Carnegie Magazine editor Robert J. Gangewere, and published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in Fall, 2011.

Petra Chu, professor of art history at Seton Hall University, says of Palace of Culture:  “It makes for a fascinating account that not only is a tribute to Andrew Carnegie’s vision, but also demonstrates that libraries, museums and concert halls can have a powerful, even transformative impact on cities.” 

The website carnegiespalaceofculture.com is not a digital version of the book.  Instead it deepens the subject with more stories, anecdotes and analyses that have not yet been published.  It is a resource for people who want to know more about Carnegie’s institutions and their cultural impact on Pittsburgh and America.   Information on this site will grow gradually as the book finds its own audience, and after readers respond with some of their own memories, examples, and critiques.

This site is organized in the same way as the book, into ten chapters, with the addition of a web page for readers’ comments.

The author can be contacted at: rgangewere@yahoo.com.