The Historical Photography Project is proud to collaborate with the 

, maintained and curated by his grandson and fellow photographer Webster Phillips, to showcase a selection of rare images of Black arts, entertainment, and culture on Pennsylvania Avenue (1940s-1950s). Many of the images featured in this collection were taken by I. Henry Phillips Sr. before the repeal of Jim Crow-era segregation laws that 

"affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants. "Whites Only" and "Colored" signs were constant reminders of the enforced racial order."

Featured images highlight Black businesses, protests, Black joy, and arts and entertainment events facilitated by exclusive Black-owned and operated social clubs. 

I Henry Phillips Sr. Collection 

In Fall 2023,  students taking Social Studies at Glenmount Elementary Middle School utilized a curriculum developed by the Black Arts District Historical Photography Project called SnapShots: Preserving Cultural Memory Through Photos. During the course students learned how to analyze photographs and conduct oral histories with members in their families and community. Check out a few examples of student work here in our HPPArchive.

Special Thanks to Ms. Shana L Bainbridge for her support of the Historical Photography Project!

Snapshots: Glenmount Elementary Middle School 

The Historical Photography Project is proud to work in collaboration with Dr. Ida Jones, Archivist in the Beulah M. Davis Special Collections at Morgan State University to showcase rare images of Victorine Quille Adams (1912-2006) from the papers of Victorine Quille Adams (1912 – 2006) collection. 

Adams was a Baltimore Public School teacher, business manager of the Charm Center, Politician, and founder of the Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign Committee. These images and other items in the Victorine Quille Adams papers document the life of a native Baltimorean whose contributions to improve civic awareness and participation are notable. The collection is organized into 10 series: personal papers; family correspondence, organizational affiliations, correspondence, Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign, Woman Power, Baltimore City Council/Baltimore Fuel Fund, and artifacts. Visit 

Victorine Q. Adams: Morgan State University Beulah M. Davis Special Collections

The Historical Photography Project is proud to collaborate with the Rosa "Rambling Rose" Pryor-Trusty Archive to showcase images that highlight Black Joy, arts, entertainment, and entrepreneurship on Pennsylvania Avenue (1940s-1960s). Ms. Rosa Pryor-Trusty, a longtime columnist and promoter, maintains an extensive collection of photographs and ephemera about African-American entertainment in Maryland. She is a published author who highlights regional histories. In her seminal book, African-American Community, History & Entertainment In Maryland: Remembering the Yesterday's 1940-1980, "Rambling Rose" gathers a significant snapshot of Black entertainment arts and culture in Baltimore City and across Maryland. 

African-American Community, History & Entertainment in Maryland: Remembering the Yesterday's 1940-1980

Rosa "Rambling Rose" Pryor Trusty Archives 

In the Winter -Spring of 2023, 9th-12th grade students taking Social Studies at City Neighbors High School utilized a curriculum developed by the Black Arts District Historical Photography Project  called SnapShots: Preserving Cultural Memory Through Photos. During the course students learned how to analyze photographs and conduct oral histories with members in thier families and community.  Check out a few examples of student work here and in the Oral History collection in our HPPArchive. 

Special Thanks to Ms. Jessica Thompson for her support of the Historical Photography Project!  

SnapShots: City Neighbors High School 

The Historical Photography Project ("HPP"), an initiative of the Black Arts District, seeks to counter histories of disinvestment that have exacerbated the loss of cultural memory for communities in the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor of West Baltimore. HPP encourages photographers and residents living in West Baltimore to contribute photographs from their personal archives and to create new images that contextualize the history, present and future of West Baltimore. 

SnapShot: Preserving Cultural Memory through Photos was designed to highlight gaps in West Baltimore's community history by asking the questions:  

Historical Photography Project Curriculum - Snapshot: Preserving Cultural Memory through Photos

Founded in 1905 and officially incorporated on March 15, 1912, The Arch is the oldest known continuously operating African American social club in the United States. Interview with the organization’s leaders, Jahi Faw and Tshamba Kaleb. Interviewed by 2022 Black Arts District Intern Keyonna Hill and Curator Angela N Carroll  

The Arch Social Club 2023 Oral History Interview 

Penn Ave Main Street Farmers Market Portraits 

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I Henry Phillips Sr. Collection

Snapshots: Glenmount Elementary Middle School

Historical Photography Project Curriculum - Snapshot: Preserving Cultural Memory through Photos

Oral Narratives

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