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Baltimore in the 1930s

What was 1930s Baltimore like? Great photos and stories from Baltimore in the 1930s.

1935 Map of Baltimore City

This old map of Charm City shows what it looked like in 1935. Click on it for more details.

Where Are These Row Houses?

Help us figure out where these row houses sit today? Or, if they no longer stand. We uncovered these lovely photos at the Library of Congress. These images are from Baltimore in April 1939.
Introducing Baltimore's new trackless trolley with vest pocket guide to the Caroline-Preston-Gilmor St. no. 21 line, in effect, March 6, 1938

Vest Pocket Guide to Baltimore’s New Trackless Trolley

Introducing Baltimore's new trackless trolley with vest pocket guide to the Caroline-Preston-Gilmor St. no. 21 line, in effect, March 6, 1938

Imperial Airways Flying Boat Over Baltimore in 1937

We love old photos of airplanes flying over Charm City. Take a look at this one from November 17th, 1937 showing Imperial Airways‘ flying boat over the city. Imperial Airways was a British long-range airline, operating...
Baltimore from the sky in 1932

Baltimore Seen From the Sky in 1920

This great detailed image shows Baltimore back in 1932, July 7th to be specific. Source: National Archives
1939 view of Baltimore

Where Is This in 1939 Baltimore?

Do you recognize this view of Baltimore? Add your comments below and if you can get the same Google Street View perspective from today, share that as well. Source: Library of Congress Looking closely at the...
Photo shows cafe at 626 E. Baltimore Street and store at 628 E. Baltimore Street (Source: Baltimore Sun, Nov. 27, 1939, p. 14)

Check Out East Baltimore Street in 1939

This cool old photo shows the 600 block of East Baltimore Street back in April of 1939. Click on it to see more details. Source: Library of Congress Here is the same view today on Google...
The Backus Motor Co. Welcome Wagon. I’m assuming that this represents the Backus Water Motor Co. but I’m not sure. I also believe that this is in Baltimore given the plates on the cars are from Maryland.

Where Is This in 1930s Baltimore?

  • August 3, 2016
Can you identify where this is in Baltimore? It’s from the early 1930s. Source: Flickr user Gordon Morales
B&W photo of Preston Gardens in Baltimore, MD, ca. 1935. Shows green space that was restored by WPA workers

Preston Gardens in 1935

Check out this great old photograph that we found on Flickr. It shows Preston Gardens in 1935. Source: Pratt Library
B&W photograph of the tip-off to a basketball game played as part of National Youth Administration recreation program, Baltimore, ca. 1935.

1935 Youth Recreational Basketball

This is one of those great photos of regular life in Baltimore. It shows a group of young men getting ready for tip-off in a game of basketball in 1935. Source: Enoch Pratt Free Library
Glover Street, 500 Block South, ca. 1930.

Glover Street Homes Near Patterson Park in 1930

This is a photo looking down the 500 block of S. Glover St. around 1930. What’s really cool is that the homes are still there and look pretty much the same except for the entrance steps...
Historic American Buildings Survey E. H. Pickering, Photographer June 1936 VIEW FROM NORTHEAST - Waterloo Row, 606-628 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD

Images of Waterloo Row in 1830s and 1930s

Check out these great images from the Library of Congress. The first one is a painting from the 1830s, and the second, a photograph of the same area in the 1930s.
Baltimore waterfront

Baltimore Waterfront in 1938

  • March 26, 2014
Here are a couple of photos of the Baltimore waterfront from 1938. Source: Library of Congress
Minor Basilica, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Baltimore, building completed in 1821, photographed and documented after 1933.

1930s Photo of the Baltimore Basilica

  • February 7, 2014
Source: Library of Congress Here’s a beautiful old photo of the Baltimore Basilica taken in the the 1930s.

Stanley Theatre on Howard Street in 1933

We came across this gem on Flickr, and it’s a terrific one. It appears to be a photograph from the 1930s, showing the Auditorium and Stanley Theatres on Howard Street. The Stanley was at the corner...
Baltimore, Maryland. Looking toward Logan Field and Sparrow Point.

1935 Aerial Photo of Baltimore

  • January 23, 2014
This is a terrific photo, especially if you click on it for a larger version. Just amazing the level of detail. The photo was taken on June 18th, 1935. Make sure to like this one on...
Smithwood Avenue branches off to the right while Edmondson Avenue slopes uphill on the left heading east toward the city of Baltimore. In addition to automobile traffic, Edmondson Avenue at the time accommodated the Baltimore Traction Company No. 14 trolley line. A junction for three rail lines was located immediately behind the photographer's vantage point. These houses still exist, albeit with vinyl siding applied over the handsome cedar shingles. Oh, and the streets have since been paved. Photo taken about 1925

Story Behind a 1925 Catonsville Home

This is a beautiful old photograph from 1925 showing a home in Catonsville. And, it’s one that makes you wonder who the people are. What are their names, and what did they do? This is a...
July 1938. Man sleeping in the Baltimore fish market. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Dick Sheldon for the Farm Security Administration.

Man Sleeps With the Fishes

Interesting photo. This guy has to be ridiculously tired to sleep there. Source: Shorpy
Camels advertisement

Camels, So Mild You Can Smoke All You Want!

Great! They’re so mild, they don’t get your wind … so smoke ’em if you got ’em!
The 804-foot-long dirigible Hindenburg, the "Titanic of the Skies," soars above the Bromo-Seltzer Tower on its way to Lakehurst (N.J.) Naval Air Station on August 11, 1936. Nine months later, it would explode at Lakehurst, killing 35 passengers and crew. (Baltimore Sun)

Photo of Hindenburg Flying Over Baltimore in 1936

This is an incredible photo from 1936, showing the Hindenburg floating over Baltimore. Nine months later came the horrific accident in New Jersey. Make sure you share this one with family and friends on Facebook. Source:...
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