Museum Research & Donations

Access to Museum Collections

At MdHS, we welcome scholars, museum professionals, and interested members of the public to view collections that are not on exhibition. Access to these collections is granted by special arrangement which must be made no less than one month in advance.

• To make an appointment to see objects currently in storage, please contact Heather Haggstrom, Collections and Exhibitions Manager at hhaggstrom@mdhs.org
• Only objects agreed to in advance and approved by the chief curator will be made available during the appointment
• Only two objects will be available per appointment
• Fees are payable in advance
• Photography is allowed for research purposes only. If images for publication are needed, please contact our imaging services department at imagingservices@mdhs.org.

Research

For information about an object in the MdHS collection, please email: museum_dept@mdhs.org or write:

Museum Division
Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

The first hour of research is free. Any additional research WILL BE BILLED AT $40 PER HOUR FOR MEMBERS AND $50 PER HOUR FOR NON-MEMBERS.

PULL FEES

For non-members, the pull fee for viewing up to three objects per year is $50. For members, the first two pulls of objects are free. Any additional objects will be billed at $20 per object with a limit of four objects total per year.

Donations

If you have an object or objects you would consider donating to the MdHS, please contact the Chief Curator, Alexandra Deutsch, at museum_dept@mdhs.org or write to:

Museum Division
Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

To expedite your inquiry, please send an image of the possible donation and any information you know about its history.

Donation Process: All donations are finalized after receiving approval from the full Board of Trustees. The process of donating to the museum typically takes three months, but may take longer under certain circumstances.

Appraisals: Appraisals associated with donations to the museum are the financial responsibility of the donor. Under the American Association of Museums, museum employees are prohibited from providing appraisals and/or discussing the value of donations being offered to the institution.

Criteria for Donations: When considering the donation of an object to the MdHS, please note that all objects presented for accessioning must specifically relate to Maryland, have historic or artistic merit, and meet the criteria articulated in the MdHS’s Collections Policy.