The blast furnaces that today loom beside a world-class performing arts venue don’t belch smoke anymore, and the last remaining ore crane is a casino sign.
But these vestiges of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. still standing in Bethlehem are reminders of America’s industrial past.
Now, you can see images of these and other operations of Bethlehem Steel in their heyday — thanks to the National Museum of Industrial History on the city’s Southside.
The museum on Thursday launched its Bethlehem Steel online photo archive, featuring an initial round of some 1,500 photos digitized through funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Historical & Archival Records Care Grants program.
“Bethlehem Steel’s vast photo archives provide a visual history of the company’s growth and breadth of services to its customers,” said Bette Kovach, a volunteer at the 602 E. Second St. museum and a former Bethlehem Steel spokeswoman.
NMIH’s archives team, largely comprising former Bethlehem Steel employees, added context and memories to the photos, many of which date to the “post-WWII era of strong demand and innovative products,” Kovach said in a news release.
“Although we can’t go back in time, viewing these photos is the next best thing,” she stated.
Bethlehem Steel employed dozens of industrial photographers to capture images of iron- and steelmaking activities in its plants and other global operations, like mining for raw materials in Africa, construction projects, maritime and rail industries, and research and development.
The digitized collection accessible online via nmihbethlehemsteel.omeka.net is the result of a two-year process of identifying and selecting negatives to represent the full extent of corporate operations during the first three quarters of the 20th century and the historic significance and global impact of Bethlehem Steel, according to the museum.
“We are so grateful to all who played a role in this important project,” stated NMIH Curator Andria Zaia in the release. “We thank PHMC, Backstage Library Works and especially our dedicated Archives Volunteer Team of Charlie Luthar, John Mikovits, Bette Kovach, John Sise, Joel Hoffner, Donald Stuart Young and Mike Zaia, as well as the many wonderful interns who have helped with this project over the years.”
The state historic commission awarded the $6,117.25 grant to the museum in December 2019, enabling the team to begin making the photos and negatives available for public access.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” NMIH Vice President Megan Pildis said of the photos available now. “We have thousands more that we’ll continue to digitize as we can.”
A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the National Museum of Industrial History is dedicated to preserving America’s rich industrial heritage. Housed in an 18,000-square-foot, 100-year-old former Bethlehem Steel facility on the largest private brownfield in the United States, the museum is home to exhibits, programs and artifacts. Learn more at nmih.org.
Here is a look at a few more of the photos from Bethlehem available through the photo archive website:
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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
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