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1930s

John Vachon’s portraits, row houses and the waterfront bring everyday Baltimore into view. City maps and transportation photographs add to the record of the 1930s.

31 stories
Front and profile prison photographs of Al Capone, balding and in a prison shirt, with a placard reading No. 397-CAL Terminal Island 1-7-39
Al Capone in Baltimore: His Four Months After Prison, 1939-408 min read

Capone checked into Union Memorial as Mr. Martini, then moved to Pimlico Road as Mr. Rossi. His doctor didn’t know he had left town.

Baltimore Row Houses in April 19391 min read

Photographs from April 1939 show row houses in Baltimore.

Members of the Friends of New Germany give the Nazi salute on the Lehmann Hall stage during the swastika flag dedication, May 18, 1935
The 1935 Nazi Rally at Baltimore’s Lehmann Hall7 min read

Who spoke at the 1935 Friends of New Germany rally on North Howard Street, who objected in the Sun’s letters column, and what stands on the site today.

A boy smoking a cigarette while seated on wooden steps beside an open doorway.
A Boy on the Steps, Baltimore in 19381 min readBest Of

John Vachon’s July 1938 portrait catches a Baltimore boy smoking on wooden steps. The original negative and Jordan J. Lloyd’s later colorization show how differently the same moment can be presented.

Baltimore from the sky in 1932
Baltimore from the Air on July 7, 19321 min read

An aerial photograph records Baltimore on July 7, 1932.

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Glover Street, 500 Block South, ca. 1930.
South Glover Street Around 19301 min read

A photograph looks down the 500 block of South Glover Street around 1930.

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)
The Hindenburg Over Baltimore in 19361 min read

A photograph shows the Hindenburg passing above the Bromo-Seltzer Tower on August 11, 1936.

Boeing 314 taking off
The Yankee Clipper’s First Atlantic Flight From Baltimore2 min read

A 1939 newspaper report and an old film follow preparations for the Yankee Clipper’s first transatlantic flight from Baltimore.

St. Mary's Seminary, Mother Seton's House, 600 North Paca Street, Baltimore (1936)
Mother Seton’s House Covered in Ivy, 19361 min read

Ivy covers Mother Seton’s House at 600 North Paca Street in this 1936 photograph.

Historic American Buildings Survey E. H. Pickering, Photographer June 1936 VIEW FROM NORTHEAST - Waterloo Row, 606-628 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Independent City, MD
Waterloo Row in 1831 and 19361 min read

An 1831 watercolor and a 1936 photograph show Waterloo Row on North Calvert Street.

B&W photo of Preston Gardens in Baltimore, MD, ca. 1935. Shows green space that was restored by WPA workers
Preston Gardens Around 19351 min read

A photograph from around 1935 shows Preston Gardens and green space restored by WPA workers.

Cafe and store on the 600 block of East Baltimore Street
East Baltimore Street in 1939: Shops and Restaurant Signs1 min read

Four photographs of East Baltimore Street in 1939 show a cafe, A. Pollack’s novelty store, restaurant menus and a street scene with a Tru-Fit Clothing sign.

Introducing Baltimore's new trackless trolley with vest pocket guide to the Caroline-Preston-Gilmor St. no. 21 line, in effect, March 6, 1938
A Pocket Guide to Baltimore’s Trackless Trolley in 19381 min read

A pocket guide introduces the Caroline-Preston-Gilmor Street Number 21 trackless trolley line, effective March 6, 1938.

July 1938. Man sleeping in the Baltimore fish market. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Dick Sheldon for the Farm Security Administration.
A Man Sleeping at Baltimore’s Fish Market in 19381 min read

A July 1938 photograph shows a man asleep at the Baltimore fish market.

Baltimore waterfront
Baltimore’s Waterfront in 19381 min read

Two photographs from the Library of Congress collection show Baltimore’s waterfront in 1938.

eet in slum area. Baltimore, Maryland
A Baltimore Street in 19381 min read

A 1938 photograph shows a Baltimore street.

Baltimore’s Streets and Wards in 19351 min read

A 1935 map shows Baltimore’s streets and wards, accompanying Frederick Stieff’s book about city government.

N. Broadway and E. Lombard St.
Broadway and Lombard Street in 19361 min read

A 1936 photograph shows a building at Broadway and Lombard Street in Baltimore.

An Imperial Airways Flying Boat Over Baltimore in 19371 min read

A November 1937 photograph shows an Imperial Airways flying boat over Baltimore, alongside another view with a Pan Am Clipper.

July 1938. "Rear of grocery store in Baltimore." Only hinting at the delights that await within. Medium format nitrate negative by John Vachon.
Behind a Grocery Store in 19381 min read

John Vachon photographed the rear of a Baltimore grocery store in July 1938.

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