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Harold Williams collection

 Collection
Identifier: 1982.3

Abstract

The Harold Williams Collection consists of 11 boxes of 624 photographs, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, dating from ca 1950 to 1972. The photographs were donated to Williams from various sources for use in his newspaper column “I Remember.” Subjects include views of Baltimore, portraiture, the Baltimore Fire of 1904, C&O Canal, Lyric Theatre, Southern Hotel, J.F. Weissner & Sons Brewing Company, Lake Roland Dam, and more.

Dates

  • circa 1950-1972

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

The reproduction of materials in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright clearances or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information visit the MCHC’s Rights and Permissions page.

Biographical Note

Harold Williams was a Baltimore Sun reporter for nearly 40 years. He joined the paper in 1940 and returned after serving as an Army counterintelligence officer in World War II. He was based in San Francisco helping with security when the United Nations was founded. After his return to the Sun following the war, he was a feature writer on the Evening Sun City staff. He also supervised about 20 writers, photographers and editors as editor of the Evening Sun. While with the Sun Williams wrote a popular column called “I Remember.” In 1979, Williams became one of three manager editors after the Sunpapers reorganization. He retired in 1981. He wrote numerous books on the Baltimore fire of 1904, photographer A. Aubrey Bodine, 150 year history of the Sun, and a guide to Baltimore and Annapolis. He died in 2002 at 85 years.

Extent

11 Linear Feet (11 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Items are arranged by format into 3 Series: Series I. Prints; Series II. Correspondence, newspaper clippings; Series III. Negatives.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection was acquired in 1982, 1985 and 1989 by the Peale Museum. Acc#s 1982.3; 1985.17; 1989.12. In 1997 the Peale/Baltimore City Life Museums closed due to lack of funding. Their collections were transferred to the Maryland Historical Society in 1998.

Scope and Contents

The Harold Williams collection comprises 11 boxes of 624 photographs, along with correspondence, and newspaper clippings. All items date from about 1950 to 1972. There are prints and copy prints primarily of Baltimore views, and there are also two photo albums: William Weaver’s Photographic Views of Baltimore (incomplete) and an album of photographs of the proposed site of Lake Clifton. Corrspondence is related to "I Remember," and there are also clippings of the column included in the collection. There are both glass and film negatives in the collection as well, with most of the film negatives being photographs of photographs.

Title
Guide to the Harold Williams collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
Judith Hallfrisch and Damon Talbot
Date
2017-03
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Revision Statements

  • 2020-05-06: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Emily Somach.

Repository Details

Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository

Contact:
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750