"…that on November 19th, 1861, Confederate President Jefferson Davis asked his Congress for a railway linking the eastern and western interior of the Confederacy?"
Current Exhibitions
Maryland’s National Treasures has reopened with new artifacts and a new title:
Inventing a Nation: Maryland in the Revolutionary Era
Inventing a Nation: Maryland in the Revolutionary Era is a collaborative exhibition between the Maryland Historical Society and the Maryland State Archives presenting documents and artifacts from the American Revolutionary War. Iconic life-sized portraits by Charles Willson Peale complement the swords, uniforms and other personal items of America’s Revolutionary heroes. Artifacts belonging to George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Tench Tilghman, and William Paca are on display.
Divided Voices: Maryland in the Civil War
The Maryland Historical Society’s (MdHS) Museum opened Maryland’s largest and most comprehensive Civil War exhibit in April 2011. The impact of the war on the people of Maryland is be told in personal terms in Divided Voices: Maryland in the Civil War. The largest Civil War exhibit in the museum’s 167-year history occupies over 5,000 square feet and tell the story of a tragedy in three acts: the romantic war, the real war and the long reunion.
Featuring a “Time Tunnel” with 3-D videos which leads visitors back to 1861. On Saturdays and Sundays the Maryland Historical Society Players will perform short vignettes of major events that took place in Maryland.
With an Artistic Eye: Folk Art at the Maryland Historical Society
With an Artistic Eye assembles diverse objects from the Maryland Historical Society’s rich collections that can be considered folk art. The exhibition includes paintings, watercolors, sculptures, pottery, stoneware, textiles, furniture and jewelry created by artists without formal training, but with exceptional creative talent. Many of the objects of view have not been exhibited for decades.
Work and Play on the Bay
Work and Play on the Bay highlights the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to Maryland for over 350 years. Boat models, paintings, decoys, mastheads and trail boards are featured in the exhibition. A section of the installation features an area where younger visitors can try their hand at oystering.
Core Exhibitions
The Star-Spangled Banner Gallery
The Maryland Historical Society is home to the oldest known surviving manuscript of Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Along with this national icon, the Star-Spangled Banner Gallery showcases paintings and artifacts, which tell the story of the brave Defenders of Baltimore who fought to protect our city and country from the British during the War of 1812. The Gallery also features a changing selection of items from the H. Furlong Baldwin Library’s Star-Spangled Banner sheet music collection.
Currently on view is The Star-Spangled Banner. A Patriotic Song. Published by Carr Music Store in Baltimore in 1814, it is one of the few remaining copies of the 1st edition of the poem set to music we know as our national anthem.
Click here to see more War of 1812 material in the Maryland Historical Society's collections
Maryland's Maritime Heritage: From Fells Point to the World
From the Fells Point shipyards that caulked the Baltimore clippers to Fort McHenry, where the British naval bombardment in the War of 1812 inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Baltimore’s history is entwined with seafaring men and ships. This core exhibition, Maryland’s Maritime Heritage: From Fells Point to the World, 1760-1850 highlights artifacts which were previously housed in the Fells Point Maritime Museum and examines the early history of Baltimore's port.
Nipper's Toyland: 200 Years of Children's Playthings
This gallery showcases the toys that Maryland children have loved over the past two hundred years. The exhibition features hundreds of toys, dollhouses, portraits and photographs associated with Maryland children.
Served in Style: Silver Collection of the Maryland Historical Society
Served in Style: Silver Collection of the Maryland Historical Society showcases important MdHS silver from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and provides an overview of the MdHS’ extraordinary collection of more than 2,000 objects.
Furniture in Maryland Life
Furniture in Maryland Life explores the manufacture, design, and function of furniture made and used in Maryland from 1634 to 2000. Decorative arts treasures, such as silver and porcelain, along with stunning paintings of Maryland interiors contribute to this fresh look at the furniture industry in Maryland.
