In “The Historian’s Toolkit,” one of the core classes for history majors, students assemble portfolios about someone in their own family tree.  Using primary (or exhibit) sources they place their family member in historical context. Since this original research often involves local history, the class visited the Maryland Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Central Branch on October 9. There they explored the City Directories, the library’s historical maps, Criss+Cross Directories, the collection of Maryland books in the stacks, and most importantly, the vertical files, where freshman Tyler Starkweather examined some 1980s news clippings about UB’s new president. Student Audrey Hayes,  a photojournalist for the US Army Reserves, took these photos of the visit.

 

The Enoch Pratt Library is about a 20 minute walk from UB’s campus. On this beautiful October day, we strolled past the Belvedere Hotel, the Hotel Brexton, the Washington Monument, the Maryland Historical Society, the Walters Art Gallery and the Basilica.  After our tour, some students stopped for coffee while others caught the free circulator back to UB, knowing that this would not be their last visit to this valuable resource so close to our campus.

A History student looks at a 1980s newspaper article entitled, “Schmoke Endorsed by Labor Unit,” written during President Schmoke’s political career in Baltimore.