Maryland Center for History and Culture facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | MCHC |
|---|---|
| Formation | March 1, 1844 |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | The Maryland Center for History and Culture collects, preserves, and interprets the history, art, and culture of Maryland. By exploring multiple perspectives and sharing national stories through the lens of Maryland, the MCHC inspires critical thinking, creativity, and community. |
| Location |
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| John Banes | |
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President, Chief Executive Officer
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Katie Caljean |
| Publication | Maryland Historical Magazine |
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Revenue (2020)
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$4.6 million |
| Expenses (2020) | $4.3 million |
| Endowment | $12,780,634 |
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Employees (2021)
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38 |
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Volunteers (2021)
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19 |
The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) is a special place that collects, keeps safe, and shares the history, art, and culture of Maryland. It was started on March 1, 1844, and was first known as the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS). This makes it the oldest cultural organization in the state of Maryland.
The MCHC helps people learn about Maryland's past. It has a museum with cool exhibits, a huge library, and offers many educational programs. It also publishes books and a magazine about Maryland's history.
Contents
Discovering the MCHC's History
The MCHC has been located in the Enoch Pratt House in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, since 1919. This beautiful house was built in 1847.
A kind person named Ms. Mary Washington Keyser gave the house to the organization in 1916. She did this to honor her husband, H. Irvine Keyser. He had been a member of the Maryland Historical Society for many years.
Enoch Pratt (1806–1896) was a famous helper of the community. He created the Enoch Pratt Free Library. He also gave a lot of money to other important places in Baltimore.
The organization changed its name from "Maryland Historical Society" to "Maryland Center for History and Culture" in September 2020. This happened shortly after it celebrated its 175th birthday!
What the MCHC Offers Today
Reading the Maryland Historical Magazine
Since 1906, the MCHC has published a magazine called Maryland Historical Magazine. This magazine comes out four times a year. It is a respected journal that shares important historical articles. It has one of the largest groups of readers among state history magazines.
The MCHC also publishes books about Maryland's history. These books are shared with the help of the Johns Hopkins University Press.
Exploring Amazing Exhibitions
The MCHC has many exciting things on display. You can see the original handwritten copy of "The Star-Spangled Banner" there. This is the song that became the national anthem of the United States! You can also read letters and journals from Benjamin Banneker, a famous African American scientist and astronomer.
The MCHC's collections include:
- Over 200 weapons
- Hundreds of pieces of jewelry
- Thousands of ancient Native American objects
- Many musical scores
- Beautiful 18th and 19th-century paintings and silver items
- Maritime artifacts (things related to the sea)
- Maryland-made furniture
- Quilts, costumes, ceramics, dolls, and toys
Exhibits often focus on Maryland's history, how Maryland is shown in art, and the role of furniture in Maryland life.
Visiting the H. Furlong Baldwin Library
The H. Furlong Baldwin Library at the MCHC has a huge and varied collection. It helps students, teachers, and researchers look at records from the past. They can learn from its many valuable items.
The library's collections include:
- 60,000 books
- 800,000 photographs
- 5 million handwritten documents
- Thousands of prints and posters
- Millions of printed papers that were only meant for a short time (ephemera)
- Many family history records
These collections show the history of Maryland and its people. Visitors can look at these items online or at the MCHC building in Baltimore.
In 1968, the library received 80 photographs by Bert Sadler. He was known for taking pictures of everyday American life.
Learning About the Baltimore Uprising
The MCHC works with a project called Preserve the Baltimore Uprising. This is a digital collection that saves and shares media from the protests that happened after Freddie Gray's death in 2015.
An exhibit at the MCHC in 2016–2017 included items from the Preserve the Baltimore Uprising collection. These items were shown in a video display.
See also
- List of historical societies in Maryland
- List of maritime museums in the United States
