Photo Antiquities

Bruce our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and a great presenter. So many interesting examples of photography through the ages. We made a reservation in advance and met up at Bernie’s Photo Shop. We arrived early and had time for coffee and sweets at Prantl’s Bakery across the street which was great. I’ve been to many exhibits of historic photos and photographic equipment, including Eastman House in Rochester and this was pretty impressive!

We showed up without a reservation and the owner promptly took us up for a guided tour. We thought we were just going to walk around looking at old photos and cameras, but we got a history of photography, cameras, and video cameras. We got a history of how the developing process evolved and how some glass plates were colored by hand. This is a must for anyone who appreciates photography and history. This will also give you an appreciation for what it used to take to make a photograph.

A really remarkable little museum, if you are interested in photography it is easy to spend hours here. The owner gives tours, is warm, personable, and extremely knowledgeable. You can see the entire history of photography in this amazingly comprehensive collection.

This is an amazing collection of history and of art, both photographic and industrial design. A must for anyone interested in art, photography, history, or just neat places. A tour is well worth it!

This is a total gem. Bruce is a true lover of photography and history, and it shows. Incredible collection of well organized and displayed photos and the equipment used through the ages. Also inspired my new life goal of having two pet giant tortoises

Not something you'd expect to find in the location but an absolute hidden gem. A very interesting and engaging tour of photography technology across time. Scheduled an hour long tour on Saturday but there is enough material for 3 separate tours. The owner/operator of the museum gave the tour and you could tell that he has a great passion for historically preserving both these pictures and the equipment to take them. And he does it on a shoe string budget. Would recommend to anyone visiting the city.

This is a hidden gem for those visiting or even living in Pittsburgh - having grown up there and not discovering the museum until I recently visited the city. Bruce, the owner and tour guide, provides vast information about camera technology over the decades, and the types of film and methods for takings photographs. And he is very engaging - ask questions! The museum is packed with these marvelous machines going back over a hundred years, fantastic photographs, and camera paraphernalia. It is as though you are traveling through 19th and 20the century history. Definitely worth a visit. Ed K

It was such a pleasant surprise! Despite being in a very small building, I was impressed with the size of the collection. The photographs were in beautiful condition. The tour was very interesting and informative and there were many opportunities to ask questions. Our tour guide was very skilled and was able to teach us a great deal while maintaining the perfect pace and tour length. I definitely recommend it to people, even to those who aren't the biggest history fans!

Bruce our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and a great presenter. So many interesting examples of photography through the ages. We made a reservation in advance and met up at Bernie’s Photo Shop. We arrived early and had time for coffee and sweets at Prantl’s Bakery across the street which was great. I’ve been to many exhibits of historic photos and photographic equipment, including Eastman House in Rochester and this was pretty impressive!

We showed up without a reservation and the owner promptly took us up for a guided tour. We thought we were just going to walk around looking at old photos and cameras, but we got a history of photography, cameras, and video cameras. We got a history of how the developing process evolved and how some glass plates were colored by hand. This is a must for anyone who appreciates photography and history. This will also give you an appreciation for what it used to take to make a photograph.

A really remarkable little museum, if you are interested in photography it is easy to spend hours here. The owner gives tours, is warm, personable, and extremely knowledgeable. You can see the entire history of photography in this amazingly comprehensive collection.

This is an amazing collection of history and of art, both photographic and industrial design. A must for anyone interested in art, photography, history, or just neat places. A tour is well worth it!

This is a total gem. Bruce is a true lover of photography and history, and it shows. Incredible collection of well organized and displayed photos and the equipment used through the ages. Also inspired my new life goal of having two pet giant tortoises

Not something you'd expect to find in the location but an absolute hidden gem. A very interesting and engaging tour of photography technology across time. Scheduled an hour long tour on Saturday but there is enough material for 3 separate tours. The owner/operator of the museum gave the tour and you could tell that he has a great passion for historically preserving both these pictures and the equipment to take them. And he does it on a shoe string budget. Would recommend to anyone visiting the city.

This is a hidden gem for those visiting or even living in Pittsburgh - having grown up there and not discovering the museum until I recently visited the city. Bruce, the owner and tour guide, provides vast information about camera technology over the decades, and the types of film and methods for takings photographs. And he is very engaging - ask questions! The museum is packed with these marvelous machines going back over a hundred years, fantastic photographs, and camera paraphernalia. It is as though you are traveling through 19th and 20the century history. Definitely worth a visit. Ed K

It was such a pleasant surprise! Despite being in a very small building, I was impressed with the size of the collection. The photographs were in beautiful condition. The tour was very interesting and informative and there were many opportunities to ask questions. Our tour guide was very skilled and was able to teach us a great deal while maintaining the perfect pace and tour length. I definitely recommend it to people, even to those who aren't the biggest history fans!

This museum is one of my favorite hidden gems in Pittsburgh. In fact, it's one of the places I always bring visitors to check out when they come into town. It's packed with history of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas through photographs. The museum had been around since the early 90s (1992-1993 I believe) and it's a must-see. I started taking my daughter (who is now 23) on visits one a year or so starting around age 5. It's so important to learn about history and on each visit we would often experience something we'd not notice on previous trips. I journal my life with photographs, always have and knowing we have a museum dedicated to that speaks volumes. It's fairly reasonably priced for entry at around $10.

Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to a museum that focuses on photo history, technology, and equipment from its inception up to the current day? And that it's located right in the Northside on East Ohio Street? I toured the Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History today, and was blown away by the sheer volume and variety of cameras, film, projectors, accessories, slides, and rare antique viewing machines, many in pristine condition. The $10 admission came with a private tour by the owner of Bernie's Photo Center, which is located just a few doors from the museum. In the past 30 years, his family has built the largest collection of 19th century photographic equipment and related artifacts in the United States, and his personal commitment to that legacy shows. He took us through four large rooms of treasures, each with a different focus (pun intended). In between viewing rooms is a tall, narrow space lit from above by a skylight. The shelves must be 12 feet high and are absolutely filled with box cameras, lenses, even a full-sized mannequin in period clothing "operating" a large vintage camera. Standing in front of this exhibit will transport you back in time. It's very cool. The Pittsburgh room was my favorite, as it was filled with photographs of the city that I've never seen before, including a permanent exhibit of the only 16 photos ever taken of Pittsburgh's Shantytown, which was created during the Great Depression and existed along the river between the Northside and Lawrenceville. I could have spent an hour just staring at all the photos in this room--especially those showing the Point in its early industrial days--not a skyscraper in sight and the rivers filled with barges of coal. The last room we visited had the largest camera I've ever seen as well as a bevy of the smallest cameras--spy cameras--and everything in between. Do you want to see a wall of lens caps? How about a wall of Brownies and a whole section devoted to photo accessories in their original packaging? Well, you will get your wish in this museum. I can't wait to go back and spend some real time taking in the details. It's a shame that I hadn't heard of this place until a few weeks ago. The owner said that they don't have the budget to advertise, which is why I decided to write this article. If you are a photographer, historian, artist, antique collector, or lover of all things Pittsburgh, then this museum is a must-see. Here's a list of social media locations where you can learn more about this fascinating place: www.photoantiquities.org Twitter: @PA_Moph Instagram: PhotoAntiquities Facebook: Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History Or better yet, GO THERE IN PERSON! 531 East Ohio Street, Pittsburgh The museum is closed to the general public due to Covid-19, but private tours are available for $10--call ahead to schedule: 412-2310-7881. Street parking ($2 for up to 2 hours) is easily accessible on East Ohio Street. Covid-19 masking is required by all. Submitted by Leslie Green Guilbault 3/11/21, Spring Hill

What a treasure trove of a museum-- honestly overwhelming. If you or Someone you know has a passion for photography, this is a museum they will not want to miss! Tons of camera equipment through the years, but also the evolution of photography shown through the various forms of printing from its inception through more modern images. Definitely a boutique museum pieces together with absolute love and passion for this pastime. Long May it remain!

My dad loves photography and he found this museum to visit! We walked up to the door and no one was there so we had to go to the store next door to call the owner to open up the museum. Once inside, it was a little smaller than I expected, but the quality and content inside is superb. There is a huge collection of cameras, and we happened to come in during his Abraham Lincoln exhibit-it will be there for about a year. There were so many photographs of Lincoln that I had never seen before, it was amazing. I am in awe at how he was able to collect all of them. The owner was knowledgeable about all the photographs and very personable. Tucked away in a strip mall, this place is definitely worth a visit!

I was super excited to come visit this museum on a trip to Pittsburgh and walked a couple of miles in the cold just to see that it wasn't open, despite the fact that it should have opened at 10am and I waited until 10:45am. It looked pretty cool from the outside though.

Incredible museum, I highly recommend! Extremely knowledgeable and attentive docent who was entertaining, informative and polite. If you have never been here, or haven't been in awhile I would recommend you go!

One of my favorite museums I have ever been to! I learned SO MUCH about all the different styles of cameras, photographs and the history and timeline of both! I am someone who has always been into photography and learned manual photography and developing in high school. I am so passionate about it! This place is a true gem and not to be missed if you are coming through Pittsburgh or even if you live/are based in Pitt but haven't been here yet!

This tour was incredibly informative and niche. Ask a lot of questions and you will receive knowledgeable answers! One of the coolest museums I've been to.

Damnit! Why won't this thing go to six stars? Why this gem is tucked away where it is, I'll never know. Is it worth a drive? Yes. Is it worth walking three miles in frigid snow and blistering wind beating the hell out of your schnozz? Yes. The time and effort it took to gather such an intense collection of antique photos should really be applauded. The Smithsonian should swipe this place up and do something grandiose with it. Most definitely this place has more daguerreotypes than I have ever seen at one time. Beyond that, there are a huge amount of other things to check out. Drop a penny in movie viewing machine and check out the dancing girl show. This is right up there with a visit to the Warhol Museum. For art and history lovers, it should be on the list in permanent ink.

About a ten-minute walk from the Warhol, this storefront museum is a real gem. Currently has an impressive collection of Lincoln portraits - original photos and paintings. The (separate) history of photography tour in the next building takes you through the very first processes of recording images to the beginning of digital innovations - there are thousands of examples to view. The owner of the museum gives a great anecdotal/industrial/aesthetic history. And then... the astounding camera collection! Also good to know - the working photo processing plant still produces custom prints - bw and color - if you have negatives you have been meaning to print.

Put this on your MUST SEE list! This is a lot of museum packed into a small space. If you are even mildly curious about history, historical figures (Civil War, Presidents, etc), local Pittsburgh locales, travel, science, or the history of photography and photo processes.....then visit this museum. There is something here for everyone to appreciate. We were just driving by and spotted the storefront. It was locked up but luckily the owner has the shop next door and came and walked us through. Fantastic, informative tour!! We could have stayed for hours and will definitely go back to view some of the other special exhibits and collections. My husband was a professional photographer for many years but I learned (and finally understood) more about the history of photography touring this museum than I ever had before (sorry dear). Note: probably not a great place for elderly (entrance is up a flight of stairs) or very little kids, but call ahead and let them know who is in your group and they can guide you. Seriously though, this museum should be on everyone's MUST SEE list.