Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks & Landscapes board president Ed Orser will be talking this spring at the Maryland Historical Society for the Baltimore City Archives Alive Conference. Ed will also discuss our work to transfer the Olmsted Brothers records and drawings related to Baltimore from the Evergreen House to the Baltimore City Archives.
Baltimore City Archives Alive Conference
Friday, May 3, 8:30 AM – 1 PM
Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore. Sponsored by the Baltimore City Archives, Baltimore City Historical Society, and the Maryland Historical Society. Free!
Baltimore City Archives Alive Conference
May 3, 2013, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Free admission; Register by contacting Suzann Langrall baltimorehistory@law.umaryland.edu or 410-706-4529
Baltimore’s City Archives, by the turn of the 21st century, had fallen into disuse, disorganization, and decay. These vital records had been placed in a leaking firetrap of a decrepit warehouse that posed a clear and present danger to both the papers themselves and the intrepid researchers who used them.
But then in late 2009 things changed. Under the good auspices of the Maryland State Archives the records have been moved to a different, adequate storage facility. Researchers are once again welcomed. With grant assistance provided by the National Historical Records and Publications Commission (NHPRC), an arm of the National Archives, professional staff has since cataloged the most important historical documents. Many archival record groups, including the War of 1812 city defense papers, are now digitized and accessible online.
The Baltimore City Archives are alive! This conference will celebrate this revitalization. Members of the Archive staff will speak as to the nature of the collection and it value, and a cross section of active researchers will describe their methods and discoveries in the search for the private history of families and the public history of Baltimore.
Confirmed speakers are:
- Edward C. Papenfuse, Maryland State Archivist and Acting Archivist for Baltimore City
- Robert W. Schoeberlein, Acting Deputy Archivist for Baltimore City
- Matthew Crenson, Professor Emeritus, The Johns Hopkins University
- Edward Orser, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Malissa Ruffner, Professional Genealogist
- Paige Glotzer, Ph.D. Candidate in History, The Johns Hopkins University
- Brendan Costigan, Fellow, University of Maryland, Carey School of Law
Sponsorship of the conference and general revitalization support provided by: MD State Archives, Baltimore City Historical Society, MD Historical Society, National Archives National Historical Publications & Records Commission and the City of Baltimore
