Steel City Artist

This pen and ink illustration was one of the artist’s first creations for his series, "A Run of the Mills". The illustration was created with all the generations of Pittsburgh steelworkers, ironworkers and laborers in mind. The artist’s late grandfather, John Filip worked 45 years as a blast furnace foreman at J & L Pittsburgh Works.   The men who worked in the steel mills and factories of western Pennsylvania labored very intensely through blood, sweat and grit in smoke and dust and in all deplorable weather conditions.   The steel, iron and glass they forged produced our nation’s buildings, bridges, and monuments and was the backbone of America’s military superiority most notably during World War II.   Lunchtime was a welcoming moment for the men working in the mills, whether down at neighborhood diner, along the railroad/riverbank or perched on an I-beam above the city.     Honor the legacy of that steelworker in your family, who made all of that possible by having your family name inscribed onto the side of the lunch pail featured on the illustration.