<<Research Programs and Services

Photograph Collection Services

MARYLAND’S PICTORIAL HISTORY

In addition to searching the pictorial collections on-line, here are some tips for finding images in the library.

Please keep in mind that the Library will be closed from June 1 to September 26, 2003, for renovations.

Subject File

The Local and Family History Department's subject files are a treasure trove of Marylandia; the articles contained there are often illustrated. If you simply want to know how something looked for reference purposes, rather than for publication, the subject file can be very helpful. In fact, it’s a good place to start any pictorial research because it can give the valuable background information that makes the search easier. Subject file material may be photocopied.

Books

Look through the many pictorial books in the library. Maryland Historical Prints, Bygone Baltimore, Maryland Time Exposure, Baltimore When She Was What She Used to Be, Bodine’s Baltimore, The Face of Maryland, My Maryland, and The Baltimore Book are some of these excellent picture sources. Check the picture credits; they will tell you if the picture that you want is in the MdHS collection. (Items credited to the Baltimore City Life Museums or the Peale Museum are now also part of MdHS.) Books may be photocopied.

Maryland Historical Magazine

A look at the index to MD Historical Magazine will show if an article on the subject has been published; most articles will have illustrations. Not all the images are from MdHS collections, but all are useful for reference purposes.

Collection Notebooks

We have made photocopy notebooks of some of the most- requested images. You may request photographs of notebook images by catalog number, date and description. Notebook pages may be photocopied.

Requesting Copy Photographs from Published Images:

If you find an image credited to MdHS that you would like to see or order a copy of, request it from the Special Collections Department of the Library. For copies, we will send an order request to our photographer.

One caveat—published photos are sometimes hard to locate because of lack of catalogue or location information. We can’t guarantee that we will be able to retrieve a published image, but we can often find an acceptable substitute.

Mounted Historical Photographs

There are oversize file cabinets of some of the most popular images of Baltimore from the Baltimore City Life Museums’ collections. These are arranged in chronological order and may be photocopied. If you wish to order a photograph, use the catalog number, date and description to request it from Special Collections.

Maps

If you need maps of Maryland locations, first look in the book "The Hammond-Harwood House Atlas of Historical Maryland Maps". Sometimes the illustrations and text in this volume will answer your question without the need to look elsewhere. If you still need to see a specific map, please check the map inventory on our web site to see if we have it. Also take a look at our on-line exhibition, 'Mapping Maryland'.

There is also a notebook in the Special Collections Reading Room listing PRE-1900 maps and the maps of Baltimore transferred from the Baltimore City Life Museums.

Maryland and Baltimore atlases, including the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, are in the History and Genealogy Department. Most are on microfilm.

For research needs that go beyond the self-service resources outlined above, special appointments may be made for which the Special Collections Department will conduct research and select images. There may be fees charged for this research. Fee scale will depend on the scope of the request and whether it is for personal, scholarly, or commercial use.