The Baltimore City Historical Society and the Village Learning Place will present their second annual series of Thursday "Baltimore History Evenings" at the Village Learning Place, 2521 St. Paul Street, Baltimore (21218). The six free programs each begin with a reception at 7:00 pm; the presentation and discussion begins at 7:30. The schedule of remaining programs appears below:

February 18, 2010: Three Baltimore Plaintiffs, presented by Garrett Power. Controversies can tell the tale of a city's development, but sometimes the litigants are more story-worthy than their lawsuits. This talk profiles three memorable plaintiffs: an apologist for lynching who championed Black Power; a Christian capitalist Socialist socialite; and a rapacious raider who is best remembered as a narcissistic philanthropist. Dr. Power is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Law.

March 18, 2010: A Hot Time in the Old Town! The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, presented by Wayne Schaumburg. This will be an illustrated talk on the 1904 blaze that wiped out most of downtown Baltimore, causing the loss of over 1,500 buildings and 2,500 companies and damage estimated at over $100 million. The disaster would nevertheless result in Baltimore's first renaissance. For over 25 years, Mr. Schaumburg has taught courses, given illustrated talks on Baltimore history, and conducted popular walking tours of Green Mount Cemetery. He is on the boards of Baltimore Heritage, the Baltimore City Historical Society, the Irish Railroad Workers Museum, and Perry Hall Mansion.

April 15, 2010: The Star-Spangled Banner and Beyond: Music in Baltimore c. 1812, presented by David Hildebrand. The War of 1812 spawned a huge variety of songs and dance tunes. Some describe great sea battles like the Shannon and the Chesapeake; others laud naval heroes like Rodgers and Perry or celebrate Hull's victory. One particular song, now our national anthem, carries an especially interesting and now controversial story. Dr. Hildebrand has been performing professionally since 1986, mostly in duet with his wife Ginger, focusing on American music of the colonial and federal periods. He consults in the field, teaches American music history at the Peabody Conservatory, and is finishing a history of music in Maryland for the Johns Hopkins University Press. He and his wife have released six full-length CD recordings, including "George Washington: Music for the First President," and most recently, "Music in the Life of Benjamin Franklin." CDs will be on sale after the program.

May 20, 2010: Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City, presented to celebrate the publication of an important new book about Baltimore by Antero Pietila. Mr. Pietila, a native of Finland and a retired veteran of the Baltimore Sun, will talk about his new book. He uses Baltimore to tell the story of how discrimination toward African-Americans and Jews shaped the cities in which we live, dooming them to ghettoization. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Mr. Pietila has turned to history after a 35-year career as a reporter, foreign correspondent, and editorial writer at The Sun.

June 17, 2010: From the Brothel to the Block: The Abolition of Prostitution in Baltimore During the Progressive Era, presented by Jayme Hill. In 1913, an undercover Vice Commission appointed to investigate prostitution in Baltimore found that over 1,000 women worked in open brothels throughout the city. Ms. Hill will discuss what drove these women into prostitution, the details of their daily lives, and the decision of Baltimore lawmakers to end the policy of toleration, forcing thousands of women onto the streets. Ms. Hill, a teacher mentor at Aberdeen High School, received an honorable mention in the 2008 contest for the Joseph L. Arnold Memorial Prize for Outstanding Writing on Baltimore's History. She has an M.A. in history from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Thanks to the generosity of the Byrnes family, in memory of Joseph R. and Anne S. Byrnes, the Baltimore City Historical Society presents an annual Joseph L. Arnold Memorial Prize for Outstanding Writing on Baltimore 's History, in the amount of $500.

Deadline for the 2009 submissions is February 1, 2010. For details, please click here.

Homewood Museum Exhibit on Travel in Early Maryland

Johns Hopkins's Homewood Museum presents its fourth annual student-curated focus show, On the Road: Travel and Transportation in Early Maryland, from January 28 through March 31, 2010. From foot, horse, and sail power to the introduction of steamboats, canals, and railways, the exhibit explores how people and goods traveled at the turn of the 19th century, through Carroll family correspondence, account books, maps, guidebooks, trunks, and other period items. An accompanying display located on the main level of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, adjacent to Homewood Museum, features objects from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries' rare books and manuscripts collection. The exhibit is free with museum admission and is part of the regular guided museum tour. For more information, visit www.museums.jhu.edu or call 410-516-5589.

"The Port that Built a City and State" TV series was created by Helen Bentley in 1950 on WMAR-TV and ran for 15 years. Sea History magazine says that "the only problem with the DVD is that you want to see more." A 60th anniversary, two-hour DVD with highlights from the series is now available for $19.95 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway. For more information: www.thebmi.org.

During President's Day weekend, Saturday, February 13. through Sunday, February 14, 2010, the Museum of Dentistry is offering $1 off admission for anyone wearing red, white, or blue. For more information: www.smile-experience.org.

The Baltimore Museum of Industry offers new digital tours that utilize Ipods. This project was financed in part with a grant from the Maryland Historical Trust and the France-Merrick Foundation. The new tours will enhance the museum experience. Visitors have the option of touring alone, with a docent, or with an Ipod. The visually impaired can listen to the tours. Visit www.thebmi.org for more information.

Mount Clare invites you to two all-day workshops, "All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Interpreting Slavery at Mount Clare but Were Reluctant to Ask," on Monday, February 15, 2010, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and "All You've Ever Wanted to Know About the Underground Railroad in Maryland and Other Networks to Freedom but Were Reluctant to Ask," on Monday, February 22, 2010, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Both seminars will feature Dr. Dianne Swann-Wright of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Participants should bring their own lunches; beverages, snacks, and dessert will be provided. Reservations are necessary and must be made by February 8 by contacting Jane Woltereck, Director at Mount Clare, either by phone (410-837-3262) or by e-mail (director@mountclare.org).

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture has entered into a partnership with AAA's "show your card and save" program. Now, visitors who show their AAA identification cards will receive $1 off museum admission for themselves and up to three guests. Visit www.africanamericanculture.org for more information.