Embedded Files
Bruce Dreisbach was born in Nescopeck, PA on October 8, 1881, and was the oldest of twelve children. He came to Donora in 1905, we think because of work. Dreisbach (pronounced drice-bah or drees-bock, pictured in the photo to the left) was an employee of the American Steel and Wire Company (AS&W) and was not only a quality control technician, but an American photographer. He took thousands of pictures in and around Donora related to the construction of the mill and town life, as well as numerous portraits of various people between the years of 1905 and the late 1950s. After retiring from AS&W, he worked as an x-ray technician at Magee Hospital in Pittsburgh. Dreisbach's wife Lucille or Lulu as she was called (pictured in the photo below) was a popular red-headed photography model at the turn of the century and settled in Donora in 1914. It may have been in this capacity that she met her husband. Mr. Dreisbach died in Donora on September 2, 1959, at 77 years of age. He was a charter member of the Donora Historical Society that was founded in 1946. Lulu died in Donora in 1986 at the age of 104.
A portion of Dreisbach's glass plate negative collection was left in Lulu's apartment (just one block from our museum) when she died. The Donora Historical Society owes a huge debt of gratitude to Dreisbach in helping us understand the way things appeared during the early days of Donora. The Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection contains well over 1,000 glass plates, which we are certain is only a fraction of the number of pictures that he took.
A portion of Dreisbach's glass plate negative collection was left in Lulu's apartment (just one block from our museum) when she died. The Donora Historical Society owes a huge debt of gratitude to Dreisbach in helping us understand the way things appeared during the early days of Donora. The Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection contains well over 1,000 glass plates, which we are certain is only a fraction of the number of pictures that he took.
As shadows in some of his photos attest, Dreisbach used the large and cumbersome tripod camera with hood to take his pictures around town, as well as other locations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia. The photos were taken on glass plates of various sizes using a process that was not only time consuming but labor intensive. While the camera setup was primitive by today's standards, the clarity of the negatives produced are some of the bests of most modern-day technologies. Once converted to photos, the opportunities to manipulate the images are endless.
In 2010, the Donora Historical Society was awarded the Washington County Community Foundation, Inc. McBride-McMaster Fund $1,000 grant -- which is awarded to fund projects that promote historic education or preservation. We used the grant to develop a portion (197 negatives) of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection.
In 2012, the Donora Historical Society was fortunate to receive a generous donation in the name of the late Stephen Acai (Acsai) - a 1933 graduate of Donora High School and one of Jimmy Russell's boys who played football for the Dragons and earned a scholarship to North Carolina State. Mr. Acai's son from North Carolina, also named Stephen, never forgot where his father came from and took an interest in the Society and our Dreisbach collection and made the donation in his father's honor for further development of our glass plate negatives.
In 2010, the Donora Historical Society was awarded the Washington County Community Foundation, Inc. McBride-McMaster Fund $1,000 grant -- which is awarded to fund projects that promote historic education or preservation. We used the grant to develop a portion (197 negatives) of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection.
In 2012, the Donora Historical Society was fortunate to receive a generous donation in the name of the late Stephen Acai (Acsai) - a 1933 graduate of Donora High School and one of Jimmy Russell's boys who played football for the Dragons and earned a scholarship to North Carolina State. Mr. Acai's son from North Carolina, also named Stephen, never forgot where his father came from and took an interest in the Society and our Dreisbach collection and made the donation in his father's honor for further development of our glass plate negatives.
In the December 2012 issue of The Shutterbug Magazine, an article featured our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection and project from 2010. The article was written by J. Michael Krivyanski and was titled, "Bruce Dreisbach's Photographic Record - A Treasure Of Images From A Pennsylvania Town".
In 2013, we were able to take the Stephen Acai donation and double that through a matching grant from the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. We used both monies to continue to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection (314 negatives) and completed that project in 2014. In 2016, the Donora Historical Society was awarded the Washington County Community Foundation, Inc. Hart History Fund $1,000 grant -- which is awarded to fund projects related to the field of history. We used the grant to develop another portion (80 negatives) of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection. The project was featured in an article in the Washington Observer-Reporter newspaper. Click on link Observer-Reporter WCCF Grant to read the article. And then again in the Washington Observer-Reporter Mon Valley Magazine in 2016. Click on link Observer-Reporter Mon Valley Magazine to read the article.
In 2018, the Donora Historical Society was fortunate to receive another generous donation by Stephen Acai for further development of our glass plate negatives.
In 2013, we were able to take the Stephen Acai donation and double that through a matching grant from the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. We used both monies to continue to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection (314 negatives) and completed that project in 2014. In 2016, the Donora Historical Society was awarded the Washington County Community Foundation, Inc. Hart History Fund $1,000 grant -- which is awarded to fund projects related to the field of history. We used the grant to develop another portion (80 negatives) of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection. The project was featured in an article in the Washington Observer-Reporter newspaper. Click on link Observer-Reporter WCCF Grant to read the article. And then again in the Washington Observer-Reporter Mon Valley Magazine in 2016. Click on link Observer-Reporter Mon Valley Magazine to read the article.
In 2018, the Donora Historical Society was fortunate to receive another generous donation by Stephen Acai for further development of our glass plate negatives.
In 2019, we were able to take the 2018 Stephen Acai donation and double that through another matching grant from the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. We used both monies to continue to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection and completed that project in 2019.
In 2021, we were able to take the 2020 Stephen Acai donation and double that through another matching grant from the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. We used both monies to continue to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection, scan panoramic photos, and convert home and sports movies. This project was completed in 2022.
In 2021, we received a Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC) - Historical & Archival Records Care (HARC) grant. We used it to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection, scan microfilm, convert home and sports movies, scan blueprints and 35mm slides, upgrade dehumidifiers, purchase archive quality boxes and sleeves. This project was completed in 2022.
As stated above, Steve Acai was from Raleigh, North Carolina but his father was born and raised in Donora. Steve is in the photo to the right. Steve was an ardent supporter of our photo projects. Unfortunately, Steve passed on September 15, 2022. Steve Acai's obituary. Thank you, Steve for your dedicated support for past eleven years!
In 2021, we were able to take the 2020 Stephen Acai donation and double that through another matching grant from the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. We used both monies to continue to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection, scan panoramic photos, and convert home and sports movies. This project was completed in 2022.
In 2021, we received a Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC) - Historical & Archival Records Care (HARC) grant. We used it to develop another portion of our Bruce Dreisbach glass plate negative collection, scan microfilm, convert home and sports movies, scan blueprints and 35mm slides, upgrade dehumidifiers, purchase archive quality boxes and sleeves. This project was completed in 2022.
As stated above, Steve Acai was from Raleigh, North Carolina but his father was born and raised in Donora. Steve is in the photo to the right. Steve was an ardent supporter of our photo projects. Unfortunately, Steve passed on September 15, 2022. Steve Acai's obituary. Thank you, Steve for your dedicated support for past eleven years!
Rivers of Steel - Community Spotlight: Glass Plate Negatives Tell a Story in Donora - February 9, 2022
Based on the Rivers of Steel grant that we received in 2021, this Community Spotlight story highlights that intersection, sharing how century-old technology is being brought back to life to make an incredible collection of historic images available for future generations. In the process, it offers a fuller picture of what life was like for our region's workers and their families.
Based on the Rivers of Steel grant that we received in 2021, this Community Spotlight story highlights that intersection, sharing how century-old technology is being brought back to life to make an incredible collection of historic images available for future generations. In the process, it offers a fuller picture of what life was like for our region's workers and their families.
Bruce Dreisbach Digital Story:In December 2022, as part of a PennWest - California English Honors class titled "Digital Storytelling" that was also sponsored by the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, two students (Leilani Torres and Courteney Venesky) created this video about Bruce Dreisbach. Click on their YouTube video titled "Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words--Bruce Dreisbach" to view.
Another Bruce Dreisbach Digital Story:In May 2024, as part of a PennWest - California English Honors class titled "Digital Storytelling" that was also sponsored by the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, student (Sydney DeCurtis) created this video about Bruce Dreisbach. Click on their YouTube video titled "Bruce Dreisbach" to view.
WHO CONVERTS OUR GLASS PLATE NEGATIVES?
The work to develop the photos from the glass plate negatives is performed by Bernies Photo Center and Photo Antiquities on the North Side of Pittsburgh. They are experts in handling vintage photos and negatives, and we are lucky to have that expertise so close in proximity.
The work to develop the photos from the glass plate negatives is performed by Bernies Photo Center and Photo Antiquities on the North Side of Pittsburgh. They are experts in handling vintage photos and negatives, and we are lucky to have that expertise so close in proximity.
DREISBACH PHOTO EXAMPLES
All four photos on this page were taken by Bruce Dreisbach. The man standing in a hat (pictured in the photo above left) is a worker on the Donora Southern Railroad. The steel mill scene (pictured in the photo above right) is the American Steel and Wire Mill.
ONLINE REPOSITORIES
Our Bruce Dreisbach Photo collection is NOT online and is best viewed in person which may not be convenient. Emailing photos at a high resolution also can prove to be challenging. However, we do share our photos, some for a fee. Sharing photos by flash drive or drop box tends to work best at times.
Additional Dreisbach Photos can be viewed online on the University of Pittsburgh's Digital Collections site or Dreisbach Photos too can be viewed online on the University of Pittsburgh's Library System - HISTORIC PITTSBURGH site. Articles written by Bruce Dreisbach himself in 1912 for Abel's Photographic Weekly also exist that show he was willing to share his expertise. Search on Bruce Dreisbach.
Our Bruce Dreisbach Photo collection is NOT online and is best viewed in person which may not be convenient. Emailing photos at a high resolution also can prove to be challenging. However, we do share our photos, some for a fee. Sharing photos by flash drive or drop box tends to work best at times.
Additional Dreisbach Photos can be viewed online on the University of Pittsburgh's Digital Collections site or Dreisbach Photos too can be viewed online on the University of Pittsburgh's Library System - HISTORIC PITTSBURGH site. Articles written by Bruce Dreisbach himself in 1912 for Abel's Photographic Weekly also exist that show he was willing to share his expertise. Search on Bruce Dreisbach.
OTHER DONORA PHOTOGRAPHERS
Aside from the Dreisbach negatives, we also have negatives that show West Columbia - the town that existed before Donora was founded and was eventually dismantled to construct a portion of the steel mill on what is now South Donora. Some of these pictures were taken by August V. Siren. An example of one of his photos can be seen on our Founding of Donora page of Watkins General Store.
The other prominent photographer in town was Chester E. Glinka (pictured in the photo to the right,) whose name can be found on many of his portraits. Mr. Glinka's studio is where people would go if they were having a formal portraiture of their family, wedding or social group. The pictures were normally done indoors with a studio backdrop. Glinka also took thousands of student's pictures over a 34-year period for the Donora High School yearbooks starting in 1929 until his death in 1963. The photo of Glinka is from the 1963 yearbook that recognized him for his contributions.
The other prominent photographer in town was Chester E. Glinka (pictured in the photo to the right,) whose name can be found on many of his portraits. Mr. Glinka's studio is where people would go if they were having a formal portraiture of their family, wedding or social group. The pictures were normally done indoors with a studio backdrop. Glinka also took thousands of student's pictures over a 34-year period for the Donora High School yearbooks starting in 1929 until his death in 1963. The photo of Glinka is from the 1963 yearbook that recognized him for his contributions.
In recent years, we acquired the Ted Matheus negative collection and just started to scrape the surface of this comprehensive collection. Matheus was a newspaper and insurance photographer in Donora and around the Mon Valley.
To Donate to the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum, please use our PayPal option to the right.
If you would like to add a note along with your donation, please consider sending an email to:donorahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
If you would like to add a note along with your donation, please consider sending an email to:donorahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
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