As Seen on SSENSE
Mind the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage)
Pigments
Computer History
Before And After
400
This iconic bag from French label Lemaire is named for its crescent shape, though English-speakers may think of it as named for the pastry.
What is the Croissant?
400
This architect built Fallingwater around one of the area's many waterfalls. Unfortunately, it's not easy to bike to from the trail.
Who is Frank Lloyd Wright?
400
This blue pigment is is named after one of its metal components, and was used for centuries in Chinese blue-and-white porcelain pottery.
What is cobalt blue?
400
This term meaning a computer glitch actually preceded the log entry attributed to Grace Hopper with a disruptive moth taped to the page.
What is a bug?
800
Based on Japanese socks that date back to the 15th century, these split-toe shoes by Maison Margiela are highly polarizing.
What are tabis?
800
Mile Marker 0: This town in Maryland is where the trail starts—or ends, if you ride it from Pittsburgh!
What is Cumberland?
800
This heavy metal used to make bright yellow and red paints was found to be present at dangerous levels in Trader Joe's chocolate last year.
What is cadmium?
800
The setting of the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains many wriggling creatures that help fertilize the soil.
What is Middle Earth Worms?
1200
This label by designer Rei Kawakubo translates to "like the boys" and is popularly known by its "Play" line's heart-with-eyes logo.
What is Comme des Garçons?
1200
Mile Marker 148: This state park in Pittsburgh is the end of the trail, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.
What is Point State Park?
1200
This intense, oceanic-sounding blue pigment was originally created by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder.
What is ultramarine?
1200
The daughter of poet Lord Byron, she's considered the first computer programmer, having wrote instructions to compute Bernoulli numbers.
Who is Ada Lovelace?
1600
Mile Marker 102: Just across the Youghiogheny River in Perryopolis, you can visit Buffalo Bill's house, where this horror movie was filmed.
What is Silence of the Lambs?
1600
It's the most popular white pigment, offering higher opacity than Zinc white—though both metals are used in sunscreen!
What is Titanium White?
1600
This feminist science and technology studies scholar published "A Cyborg Manifesto" in 1985.
Who is Donna Haraway?
2000
This Japanese designer was best known for his line of pleated garments, and also for designing Steven Job's iconic black turtleneck shirt.
Who is Issey Miyake?
2000
Mile Marker 24: The highest point of elevation on the GAP trail is where it crosses this hydrological divide between two watersheds.
What is the Eastern Continental Divide?
2000
This earthy yellow pigment made partially with clay was used to make paintings within Egyptian tombs and the Lascaux caves.
What is ochre?
2000
This was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, replacing the labor of over 200 women "computers" during WWII.
What is the ENIAC?