ABOUT - Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage

	What if Maryland were called Henryland? Maryland was named after Henrietta Maria, Queen Consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. The charter for the colony of Maryland was granted to Calvert by the Queen's husband, Charles I of England. But what if Calvert had decided to name the colony Henryland?
	What if George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, had never publicly announced that he was a member of the Roman Catholic Church? George Calvert's career as Secretary of State of England came to a screeching halt when he publicly announced his membership in the Roman Catholic Church. Shortly after his announcement he became the First Lord Baltimore in the Peerage of Ireland. If George Calvert had not announced that he was Catholic then would Baltimore still be called Baltimore?
	Terra Mariae. Latin, "Land of Mary," or "Maryland." What exactly is it that gives Maryland its unique identity as a state? It is the people and places of Maryland, and all of the events that have taken place in its history since its charter was first granted in Great Britain. The story of Maryland's cultural heritage is told in the paintings, letters, photographs, books, and other artifacts and records of history that are left behind by previous generations. Find out more about the people and places of Maryland by viewing our collections.
	The Digitization of Natty Boh Follow the continuing adventures of *Maryland Smith* as he explores the depths of a library's archives, helping to unearth valuable artifacts. This fun promotional video helps to illustrate the value of digitization projects in helping to share hidden treasures with everyone.

Recently Added Collections | Browse All

Adalbert Volck and the Humanities - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of etchings and illustrations by Adalbert Volck from the Adalbert Volck Collection of the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. The images reproduced in this online collection are primarily those of and for The Wednesday Club, a Baltimore organization of which Dr. Volck was a founder and active member. Includes illustrations for theater programs and the sheet music for Innes Randolph's cantata "The Grasshopper" accompanied by a selection of caricatures. Owned by the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Allegany County Directory, 1895-96 - Allegany College of Maryland - added
City of Cumberland and Allegany County Directory, 1895-96 published by Bell Publishers of Baltimore lists the names, occupations and residences of heads of households in Allegany County, Maryland in 1895. Owned by Allegany College of Maryland. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library.
American Century Project - St. Andrew's Episcopal School - added
A collection of oral histories completed by students at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, in their junior year of high school. Oral history is an historical method that uses recorded interviews to preserve firsthand memories, accounts, and interpretations of a person’s life, an event, a place, a way of life, or period. Introduced at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, by History teacher Glenn Whitman in 1997, the American Century Project trains students to understand the challenges associated with oral history as a historical methodology as well as providing the students a chance to collect and preserve a primary source. Owned by the Dreyfuss Library, St. Andrew's Episcopal School. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Dreyfuss Library, St. Andrew's Episcopal School.
Baltimore Recommended Capital Improvement Program - Baltimore Streetcar Museum - added
A three-volume collection of 259 reports with accompanying photographs of recommended capital improvements to Baltimore City streets submitted in 1955 by Director of Traffic Henry A. Barnes to the Planning Commission of the City of Baltimore. This collection of more than 550 items details and prioritizes redesign, bridge reconstruction, channelization, road widening, gradient separation, and median divider projects to streets and bridges to improve the flow of traffic in Baltimore. The collection is part of the Maryland Heritage Library, which is a joint operation of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
Baltimore Tower Clocks, 1977 - Joe Schuller and Donald Kobi - added
A collection of 35mm color slides of tower clocks in Baltimore taken by Donald Kobi and the late Joe Schuller, members of the Maryland Chapter 11 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC). Includes photographs of the clock towers and, in some cases, photographs of the bells, clock movement, and some architectural features of the buildings that housed the clocks. Owned by the Library and Research Center at the National Watch and Clock Museum. Contributed to the MDCH Program by Joanne Schuller-Stover and Donald L. Kobi and the Library and Research Center at the National Watch and Clock Museum.
Baltimore Transit Co. and Potomac Edison Slides - Baltimore Streetcar Museum - added
A collection of four hundred and eight 35-mm color slides of Baltimore Transit Co. and Potomac Edison streetcars photographed between 1952 and 1953 by Edward S. Miller, capturing a way of life that ended when the last streetcar went out of service in and around Baltimore City and its suburbs and on the Frederick to Thurmont line. Contributed to the MDCH Program by Edward S. Miller and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.
Baltimore Transport Directories, Maps, and Timetables - Jerry Kelly - added
A selection of Baltimore transit directories, maps, and timetables spanning the years 1927 through 1943 provides a look into Baltimore transit lines during that challenging time when people were moving away from streetcars, with their fixed tracks and routes, to the freedom of engine-powered buses and private automobiles.
Boyd's Business Directory of Maryland, 1875 - Washington County Free Library - added
A collection of pages from Boyd's Business Directory of Maryland, published in 1875. The collection includes occupation and business listings for the entire state, except for Baltimore City. Separate entries for Cumberland and Hagerstown are also included. Owned by Washington County Free Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library.
Broadside Verses - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
Broadsides were used in Maryland in the mid-Nineteenth Century for political agitation, advertisements, poems, ballads, and Civil War propaganda, from the Enoch Pratt Free Library Digital Exhibit. Owned by the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Building and Exhibitions Lantern Slides – Baltimore Museum of Art - added
This collection contains images that document the building and exhibitions of The Baltimore Museum of Art. The images trace changes in the Museum’s exhibition program and interior and exterior from its earliest days in the Mary E. Garrett mansion at 101 W. Monument St. to the construction of its Wyman Park location in 1929, as well as to later additions in the 1950’s. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Archives and Manuscripts Collections, The Baltimore Museum of Art.
Burnt District Reports - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of documents and books that tell the story of how Baltimore survived the devastation of and rebuilt after the fire of 1904. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Cator Collection of Baltimore Views - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
Nearly two hundred etchings, engravings, watercolors, prints, and other images depicting historic Baltimore, Maryland and environs from 1752 to 1930, from the Enoch Pratt Free Library Digital Exhibit. Owned by the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Edgar Allan Poe Collection - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of personal letters, images and poeiana from the Edgar Allan Poe Collection. Includes important letters regarding Poe's mysterious death in 1849. Owned by the Special Collections Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Fair Hill Boarding School letters - Montgomery County Historical Society - added
Two Fair Hill Boarding School circulars and a selection of correspondence between Fair Hill students and friends or family members. The circulars contains facts and information about the school. Owned and contributed to the MDCH Program by the Montgomery County Historical Society.
H. L. Mencken Collection - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
Portraits, photographs, drafts, letters and artifacts from the personal collection of Baltimore journalist and critic, H. L. Mencken, (1880 - 1956). Owned by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Hagerstown City Directory, 1893 - Washington County Free Library - added
The first listing of the residents of Hagerstown includes name, address and also occupation of the populace. In addition, it records "coloreds", county officials, churches and secret societies. Owned by Washington County Public Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library.
Harford County Living Treasures - Harford County Public Library - added
An audio/video collection of oral histories recorded as part of the Harford County Living Treasures Oral History Project. The goal of the project is to preserve for future generations firsthand accounts of what life in Harford County has been like for previous generations.
Lefty Grove - George's Creek Library, Allegany County - added
A selection of items from the illustrious history of the left-handed pitcher from Lonaconing, Maryland, Robert Moses Grove, also known as Lefty Grove. This collection includes a photograph of Grove's MVP trophy, photographs, baseball cards, and paintings. Owned by the George's Creek Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR - Western Maryland's Historical Library.
Mapping Maryland's Counties - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of historic maps that provides snapshots of the growth and development of Maryland's counties and the City of Baltimore from 1650-1939. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Maryland Colonial Currency - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A collection of Maryland colonial and continental currency dating from 1767 to 1776. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Maryland Library's Most Wanted - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of unidentified photographs from the Ephemera Collection of the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Old Churches of Queen Anne's County - Queen Anne's County Free Library - added
A scrapbook containing photographs and watercolor paintings of old churches that are located in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The scrapbook was created by the Homemakers' Clubs of Queen Anne's County. At the request of the Homemakers' Clubs the watercolors of the churches were painted by George Hall of Chester, Maryland. Owned by the Centreville Library, Queen Anne's County Free Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Centreville Library, Queen Anne's County Free Library.
Old Houses of Queen Anne's County - Queen Anne's County Free Library - added
A scrapbook containing photographs and watercolor paintings of old houses that are located in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The scrapbook was created by the Homemakers' Clubs of Queen Anne's County. At the request of the Homemakers' Clubs the watercolors of the houses were painted by George Hall of Chester, Maryland. Owned by the Centreville Library, Queen Anne's County Free Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Centreville Library, Queen Anne's County Free Library.
Pictorial History of Accident, Maryland - Ruth Enlow Library - added
A selection of photographs collected by Mary Miller Strauss that record the rich history of Accident, a small town in Garrett County. Owned by the Accident Branch of the Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR - Western Maryland's Historical Library.
Portraits of the Six Lords Baltimore - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
Images of the historical paintings portraying the six Lords Baltimore. These men owned the soil of Maryland under a charter of feudal type that conveyed one of the most extensive grants of powers conceded by the crown of England during the period of colonization. One after the other, they controlled, in gradually lessening degree, the peopling, the economic development, and the government of Maryland for one hundred and thirty-seven years. Owned by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
President's Collection Photographs - Baltimore Streetcar Museum - added
A three-volume set of vintage photographs of Baltimore streets and streetcars. It is believed that the photographs were taken at the request of the President of the United Railways & Electric (UR&E) Company to document some aspects of managing and maintaining streetcars in Baltimore. Owned by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and the National Historic Railways Society Library. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.
Sachse's Bird's Eye View of City of Baltimore 1869 - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
Sachse's Bird's Eye View of the City of Baltimore 1869 still elicits the same fascination today as it did some 140 years ago when it first appeared. Historians and genealogists survey the map to find neighborhood burying grounds and churches that ancestors would have attended. This new digital version from the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center allows the viewer not only to see the exquisite detail of the original 12 parts but also to view and appreciate in composite form this monumental achievement in art and mapmaking!
Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman - Eastern Shore Regional Library - added
Written by Sarah H. Bradford, this book was published in 1869 and became the source of most of the stories about and, later, books on Tubman's life and deeds up to and during the American Civil War. Privately owned. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Eastern Shore Regional Library.
Slave Documents Collection - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of documents related to the ownership of slaves. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Sports in Maryland - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of sports related items from the Ephemera Collection of the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Includes game schedules, programs, personal correspondence and documents from sports organizations. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Talbot County Free Library - Maryland Room Map Collections - added
A selection of maps from the Maryland Room of the Talbot County Free Library. Taken from its Arthur J. Gutman Collection and its Starin Collection, this selection consists of 18 maps of Maryland, including a 1631 map of the colony before it received its name and a rare 1878 map of a proposed Chesapeake and Delaware Canal that never was built.
Thomas Johnson letters - C. Burr Artz Public Library - added
Thomas Johnson (1732-1819), Maryland's first elected Governor, held a variety of positions throughout his life both in the political arena as well as in the private sector. This collection includes letters written to Johnson from a variety of sources as well as the commission of Governor Johnson as one of the Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Owned by the C. Burr Artz Public Library, Frederick County Public Libraries. Contributed by the C. Burr Artz Public Library, Frederick County Public Libraries.
Views of African American Life in Maryland - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of photographs from the Photograph Collection of the Maryland Department at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The images of this collection allow us a glimpse into the past of the social, economic, and political lives of African American Marylanders. It features scenes from Baltimore City and various counties throughout the state, including views at work, school life, recreation, communities, public spaces and individuals. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts – a history - added
A selection of photographs and documents from The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum, located in Hagerstown’s city park, opened its doors in 1931. This collection of photographs and documents from the Museum’s archives traces the formative years of the Museum’s remarkable history. The Museum, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year, was the dream of Anna Brugh Singer, a Hagerstown native, and her husband William H. Singer, Jr. and these patrons of the arts, with community support, funded the building and its foundational art collection. Owned by the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown. Contributed to the MDCH Program by WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library.
The Winkler Collection: Historic Photographs of La Plata, MD - Charles County Public Library - added
Since its incorporation as a town in 1888, La Plata, Maryland has seen many changes. This collection of twenty-four photographs from the early to the mid-twentieth century includes rare views of the town transformed by weather, time, and development.
Works Progress Administration of Maryland - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of photographs documenting the activities of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of Maryland. The WPA employed thousands of people throughout the state during the Great Depression. Owned by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.
World War II in Maryland - Enoch Pratt Free Library - added
A selection of items depicting what life was like for Maryland residents during World War II, including pamphlets, programs, advertisements, ration books, and other artifacts. Contributed to the MDCH Program by the Maryland Department of the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center.