City of Baltimore School Board warehouse interior

Note: There are two sections of the Hughes Collection. The first section, known as PP8, covers dates circa 1910-1946. This portion of the collection consists of vintage glass plate negatives for which modern prints were made during the 1980s at the Maryland Historical Society, with some vintage prints and film negatives. The second section of the Hughes Collection, called the Hughes Studio Photograph Collection, is known as PP30, and covers dates circa 1940-1956.

The Hughes Studio Photograph Collection (PP30) consists of 61 boxes containing approximately 36,000 negatives, with dates spanning 1940 to 1956. The majority of these photos are black and white negatives.

Large portions of the photographs were taken in the Baltimore area, however locations span the state and include Delaware and Washington, D.C. The collection provides an extensive professional documentation of many aspects of life in Baltimore city and county, St. Mary's County and Annapolis, including street scenes, buildings, shipping, industry, businesses, recreational and sports facilities, public buildings, residences, churches, schools, monuments, and transportation.

The subject matter varies widely with buildings, war rallies, machinery, employee identification photos, weddings and other special events making up a large portion of the collection.

Other topics identified include: advertising, display windows, posters, women’s history, African American history, slavery, railroads, buses, automobiles, ships, airplanes, aerial views, funerals, fires and firefighting, grocers, architectural elements, furniture, fashions, hospitals, hotels, American Indian history.

Also copy negatives of many historical prints, paintings, and documents. Photographs of paintings, portraits, and print making; stained glass.