“The Real Steel”
a contemporary, yet historical photography exhibit

“The Real Steel” is an exhibit of photographs from Inside Bethlehem Steel: The Final Quarter Century, the book by photographer Peter Treiber and writer Elizabeth Kovach that chronicles the final years of Bethlehem Steel as it struggled to survive a rapidly changing global economy.

Treiber, a photographer for the former Bethlehem Steel Corporation, portrayed the industrial titan--the nation’s second largest steel producer during most of it’s 99 years and provider of steel for iconic American structures--from 1977 through 2000.

“The spectacular photographs of Peter Treiber constitute a work that will not be forgotten,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Strohmeyer. “The most stunning visual history I’ve ever seen...Treiber captures the beauty and power of the steelmaking process and portrays it as fine art.”says Ed Riccio, president of BethForge, 1989-1995.

Treiber holds an associate degree in design from the State University of New York and a bachelor of fine arts in photography from the Art Center College of Design in California. He maintains a photography business in Bethlehem, Pa.

“The Real Steel” exhibit contains 28 archival, mostly color, digital prints of photographs of Bethlehem Steel between 1977 and 1997 when the company’s mills were in full operation. The prints are 16" x 20" and 16" x 16" and are matted with eight ply boards to 28" x 32" or 28" x 28" and framed in narrow black with plexiglass glazing. The framed prints are shipped in two professional exhibit shipping crates. Digital copy of the introduction to the book is available for graphics panels and display captions are also available. Reproduction quality digital image files are available for exhibit promotion. Information about the book and the exhibit can be found at http://www.insidebethlehemsteel.com The 12" x 9" leather bound coffee table book is 140 pages with 92 different color and b&w photographs made between 1977 and 2000 and is available for museum and gift shop sales. The retail price is $49.95.

For nearly its entire existence – from its incorporation in December 1904 until its sale in May 2003 – Bethlehem Steel Corporation was the second-largest steel company in the United States of America. The early and tremendous successes of Bethlehem, nicknamed Bessie, earned the company a position on the Dow Jones Industrial Index in 1918, and it became the darling of Wall Street for many years. During its life, it also was a large, worldwide company engaged in the extraction of raw materials and, during the years of World War II, the world’s largest shipbuilder.

What reviewers said:

John Strohmeyer: “…enlightening read for everyone concerned about the fate of big industry in America and a must addition to every library. Bette Kovach’s insightful perspective and the spectacular photographs of Peter Treiber constitute a work that will not be forgotten.”
John Strohmeyer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Crisis in Bethlehem: Big Steel’s Battle to Survive, was editor of The Bethlehem Globe-Times for 28 years.

Nancy Gravatt: “…Treiber…and Kovach have teamed up to create a visually stunning portrait… depicting the final decades of an iconic company that literally built our nation.”
Nancy Gravatt, Vice President, Communications, American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)

Scott Robertson: “What this book does perhaps most successfully is retain the history and heritage of Bethlehem Steel, creating an image not of rusting, hulking, idle operations, but of a company, and an industry, that was pulsing with excitement, built on the backs of hard workers who gave their all, only to find little left for them at the end of 99 years.”
Scott Robertson, Chief Correspondent, Steel, American Metal Market

Ed Riccio: “The most stunning visual history I’ve ever seen. Peter Treiber captures the beauty and power of the steelmaking process and portrays it as fine art. Art that describes one of man’s most ennobling efforts, the creation of basic materials for the betterment of human life.”
Ed Riccio, President, BethForge 1989-1995

Dan Hugos: "I saw there was no question of obvious artistic merit and beyond that, the historical aspect and story hadn't been told yet," said Hugos. "I had never seen anything with pictures that feel so contemporary."
Dan Hugos, Owner, Dakota Ridge Gallery

Al Zagofski: “The Real Steel is the real deal”
Al Zagofski, Times News