SLRC Treasures: Maryland Department

What are some of the hidden treasures of SLRC in the Maryland Department?

There are many collections held in the Maryland Department that are not apparent when one searches the catalog. Since the 1930’s the Department’s staff has been collecting and organizing materials exclusive to Maryland. Some of the interesting collections include:

Maryland Telephone Directories: Phone books dating as far back as the World War I era for every county in the state. Many of these are quite brief but, in addition to telephone listings, contain interesting advertisements from local businesses.

Annual Reports: Business and non-profit organization reports for entities that are not included in the Pratt catalog. The date range of these reports is wide, but some date from the early 19th century.

Music and Theater Programs: Actually, two separate collections that include programs back to 1795. Some contain beautiful cover art and details of famous actors (e.g., Edwin Booth) who played in the area.

Photographs: More than 20,000 black-and-white photos from all over Maryland with emphasis on the Baltimore area. Particularly strong in the 1930’s. Many are available for reproduction. In addition, there are smaller, photographer based collections from A. Aubrey Bodine and M. Robert Rappaport.

Campaign Literature: A growing collection of election advertising in many shapes and sizes for Maryland state elections and national campaigns in Maryland. Material covers mid-19th century to date.

Yearbooks: High school and college yearbooks from educational intuitions in Maryland. Dates vary, but a current list is always available.

Postcards and Stereoscopic Views: Hundreds of postcards from places and points of interest from around the state- many with personal notes. Two hundred stereoscope views of Maryland sites.

Ephemera: Almost 6000 items of material that can be viewed as time sensitive, but provide a fascinating look at life in the past. Menus, programs, invitations, awards, posters, etc. from actual events. Useful for creating displays or exhibiting with other historical material.

Think about these collections as a supplement to other SLRC materials. Since most are composed of primary source documents, they are useful for students and make excellent display material-especially when mixed and matched!

Contact the staff of the Maryland Department to talk about access to these and other collections.