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Through The Place

A feature-length documentary that highlights the history, achievements, and impact of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), on Pittsburgh and on preservation in America, since the organization’s founding in Manchester on the North Side of Pittsburgh, in 1964.

“Pittsburgh was probably the first city in the country to go headlong, mistakenly, into the urban renewal mode, bulldozing so much of the fabric of its city as well as its economic heart. So it’s somewhat ironic that Pittsburgh also became the leader in the preservation movement through Arthur Ziegler and the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.”

ROBERTA BRANDES GRATZ
Author, "The Living City"
Urban Critic
Determined to preserve the character of their homes, residents of Manchester on Pittsburgh’s North Side, together with the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, insisted that renewal efforts be based on preservation.

Founded by a group of citizens who passionately believed that historic preservation, rather than massive demolition, could be a tool for renewing communities, creating pride among residents, and achieving sustainable economic development, PHLF is now recognized as one of the nation’s most innovative and effective nonprofit historic preservation organizations.

In THROUGH THE PLACE, you will see the context of how of PHLF started and learn about its work in saving and restoring important buildings in Pittsburgh neighborhoods and its Main Street business corridors. You will see the breadth of PHLF’s education and preservation programs, which enhance the organization’s advocacy for the preservation of historic buildings and structures in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and in America.

Pittsburgh’s historic lower Hill District circa 1954 and the massive distruction that followed during the era of “urban renewal."

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“You’ve got the whole history of American architecture spelled out within walking distance, just in Downtown Pittsburgh. And it has to be saved. It has to be preserved.”
DAVID McCULLOUGH
Author, “The Wright Brothers”
American Historian

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Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Produced in association with:

Behind the Camera

In the making of THROUGH THE PLACE, we interviewed a cross-section of leaders of leaders in preservation, including architects, historians, urban and social critics, and leaders of major preservation, civic, and cultural organizations. Through it all, our story took us across three states, filming important landmarks and places, some of which are highlighted in the photo gallery.

Meet the Filmmakers

KARAMAGI RUJUMBA
Producer
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Karamagi Rujumba
Producer

Karamagi Rujumba is the director of communications and advocacy for the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. He coordinates all media and public affairs and represents PHLF on preservation issues at all levels of community and government engagement. He also manages and creates programming for the Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, where PHLF is involved in an expansive house restoration and preservation initiative.

A naturalized American, Karamagi was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and grew up in Uganda before moving to the United States. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where he studied English and Political Science, and also holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

He was a general assignment, government, and education reporter for both the Toledo (Ohio) Blade, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspapers before joining PHLF in October 2010.

DANIEL LOVERING
Director, Videographer, and Editor
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Daniel Lovering
Director, videographer, and editor

Daniel Lovering is a journalist, photographer and documentary filmmaker based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is the founder and principal of Bagamor Media, which produces short documentaries and films for media organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions and businesses.

An experienced journalist, Daniel has reported from more than a dozen countries. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist and Foreign Policy, among other publications. He worked as a staff writer for The Associated Press in Asia and the United States, covering subjects ranging from business and politics to war and natural disasters, and has contributed to Reuters.

From 2005 through 2011, Daniel worked in Pittsburgh as a national business writer for the AP and freelance journalist. He wrote a seven-part series on entrepreneurship in the region for PittsburghTODAY, an initiative of the Regional Indicator program at the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for Social and Urban Research.

A skilled narrative and visual storyteller, Daniel began his career in film and television production. He graduated from Oberlin College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is the recipient of numerous journalism fellowships, including a 2014 Metcalf Institute Fellowship for Marine & Environmental Reporting and a 2012 Knight Luce Fellowship for Reporting on Global Religion.

Bring Through the Place to your Classroom

This documentary is both an advocacy and educational tool about the impact of historic preservation as a means of achieving social, cultural, and economic equity in the renewal of America’s historic neighborhoods and urban communities. PHLF is pleased to partner with community organizations, schools, and individuals interested in screening the film as an educational program.

Contact Us
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: 412-471-5808  |  Fax: 412-471-1633