Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, statesman

Baltimore Fulfills A Bold Vision:  
The Garretts and the B & O Railroad

When the B & O Railroad's cornerstone was laid in 1828, Baltimore's fortunes changed forever as America's  first railroad would open western markets to our city.  From the vast business empire based in the family firm Robert Garrett & Sons, the Garrett family played a central role in the B & O's development and expansion.  The Garrett Jacobs Mansion's second annual symposium presents a series of expert sepakers who examine the B & O's role in the creation of Baltimore's Golden Age. 

The symposium will open with a dinner on Friday night. William F. Howes, Jr. will speak on the history of the B & O Railroad's passenger service.  On Saturday, March 19th,  symposium speakers include John Hankey on the B & O and 19th century Baltimore; Kathleen Sander on Mary Elizabeth Garrett; James Garrett on the philanthropy of the Garrett family; Dean Krimmel on the B & O and immigration to Baltimore; Lawrence Lee on the Howard Street Tunnel; and Courtney Wilson on the rebirth of the    B & O Museum.  On Sunday, March 20th, three different tours will be offered on the major B & O historic railroad sites.

For additional information, contact Karen Footner at 410-433-0354 or by e-mail:  kmfootner@aol.com

Charlie Duff will present a series of three lectures under the title  "What is Style in Architecture?"   The illustrated talks will take place in the Graham Auditorium at the Walters Art Museum on Wednesday February 9th, 16th, and 23rd at 6:30 p.m.  $  The series will explore the concept of architectural style by looking at three generations of people and buildings in Baltimore.  Topics include:  1840-1870, The Early Victorians and their Medieval Utopias;  1870-1890, The Late Victorians and Architecture of Culture;  1890-1940, The Edwardians and Architecture of Progressive Reform.  For information or to register, call 410-547-9000.

• Library Orientation Sessions - The 45-minute sessions begin at 9:10 a. m. in the Library.  No pre-registration is required.  They are free with admission to the Historical Society.  The next session will take place on  February 19th and focus on "Using Special Collections."

• Baltimore Equitable Society Archives - This archive includes business records as well as policies dating back to 1794 and will be a treasure trove for people researching buildings in the Baltimore area.

• Eubie Blake Web Site - "Shuffle Along:  The Eubie Blake Collection"   is now complete.  The site includes digital versions of more than 2,000 photographs, letters, pages of sheet music, and other items from the Eubie Blake Papers at the Historical Society.  You can visit the site at  http://www.mdhs.org/eubieblake/

Two tours will take place on Saturday March 12th and March 26th at 10:30 a.m. Tours start at the B & O Railroad Museum located at Pratt and Poppleton Streets.  The walking tour is a glimpse at Irish life in Baltimore during the 1840s when thousands immigrated here to escape Ireland's famine known as the "Great Hunger."  Many settled in southwest Baltimore.  The tour includes stops at the B & O Museum, the Irish Shrine on Lemmon Street, St. Peters Catholic Church, Hollins Market (lunch), and St. Peters Cemetery.  The tours are free and open to the public, but contributions to the Irish Shrine museum are very welcome.  To register for a tour, send an e-mail to tours@irishshrine.org .  Be sure to include your name, the tour date, and the number of people who will be attending.  Visit the web site at www.irishshrine.org . 

Current exhibit:  "Lives Lost, Lives Found:  Baltimore's German Jewish Refugeees, 1933-1945" Baltimore was the destination for 3,000 Jewish refugees who were able to get out of Nazi Germany, and their story is told through photographs, oral testimony, documents, and other memorabilia. The exhibit chronicles those who made it here as well as the local individuals and relief organizations who helped the refugees make new lives in Baltimore.  The Jewish Museum of Maryland is located at 15 Lloyd Street and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 4pm  $  for information, call 410-732-6400 or on the web at  www.jewishmuseummd.org

Maryland Institute College of Art

• "The Architecture of Baltimore:  A Walking Tour Program of Our City's Popular and Diverse Neighborhoods"  -  Saturdays April 2, 9, 23, 30 and Sunday April 17  -   10 a.m. to Noon.  Coordinator:  Karen Lewand.  The course will include the neighborhoods of Auchentrolly Terrace, Mt. Royal Avenue, Washington Village (aka Pigtown), and  Cedarcroft.  For information, call 410-225-2219 or e-mail:  cs@mica.edu

Roland Park Country School - Kaleidoscope Program

• Book Talk:  Homewood House  -  March 3rd, 7-8:30 p.m.  and  March 5th, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Join author Catherine Rogers Arthur for a lecture and tour of Homewood which is located on the Hopkins University campus.  Built as a wedding present in 1801 for Charles Carroll, Jr. and his bride Harriet Chew, this country house is one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in Baltimore.  For information, call 410-323-5500 or visit the web site at www.rpcs.org

Community College of Baltimore County - Continuing Education Program

• "History of Baltimore in the Twentieth Century"  - Mondays, February 28th - March 2lst, 7-9 p.m. at Perry Hall High School.   Instructor:  Wayne R. Schaumburg. The course will trace the development of Baltimore from the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 to the "harbor renaissance" and beyond.  It will look at the people, places and events that transformed Baltimore from a 19th century industrial city to the dynamic urban center of today.  For information, call 410-869-0296.  Please note:   Due to a scheduling error by C.C.B.C., this is the SAME COURSE that was offered in the Spring, 2004.  

Johns Hopkins University  -  Odyssey Program

• "Baltimore Walks and Talks:  Fells Point" - Thursday, April 14, 21, 28 - 7-8:15 p.m.;  and Saturday, April 30 - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.  Instructor:  Frank Shivers, Jr.  This course explores the colorful past and present of Fells Point through slide-illustrated lectures and a walking tour.  For information, call 410-516-4842 or on the web at   www.odyssey.jhu.edu