History of Structures in England and Pittsburgh, 1807/1983

Containers:

Box 315

Scope and content:

While working for Ove Arup, Kemp researched I.K. Brunel and the construction of the Renkioi Hospital during the Crimean War in Turkey. Brunel also surveyed the Great Western Railway, where he suggested using cable technology to navigate steep passages that the rail cars might not be able to mount unassisted. The cable-based incline technology was fundamental in designing two Pittsburgh inclines. While serving on the ASCE's Committee for the History and Heritage of American Civil Engineering, Kemp deliberated about granting National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark status to the inclines. The box includes materials from both parts of Kemp's career, including handwritten notes, typewritten notes, articles, correspondence, Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks nomination forms, brochures, clippings, records from the state legislature, reports, scholarly journal articles and photographic prints. The box also includes facsimiles of the following: correspondence, scholarly journal articles, clippings, press releases, book excerpts, budget lists, and engineering drawings. Subjects include I.K. Brunel, Renkioi Hospital, canal tunnels, British canals (especially the Huddersfield Narrow Canal), and the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines in Pittsburgh. The following oversize items were moved to Map Cabinet 12, Drawer 15, Folder 3: 55 sheets of facsimile report (undated), 1 map (undated), 1 clipping (1983), and 1 engineering drawing (1857).

Access and use