This talk will consider how an international design movement, Art Deco, found its way into Baltimore during the 1920s and ’30s. Fueled by a robust manufacturing sector, the city became fertile ground for a wide-ranging architecture that mixed freely with the prevailing design trends of the day (albeit leaning toward the traditional); an important representative of America’s major industrial cities in the interwar years. Lesser-known examples of Baltimore Deco will be shared, and the talk will also highlight a few optimistic building projects undertaken in the midst of the Great Depression.

About the Presenter:

Melissa Blair is a history professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and studies the history of architecture, landscapes, and material culture. She is co-author with Richard Striner of Washington and Baltimore Art Deco: A Design History of Neighboring Cities (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). Prior to joining the Department of History, she worked for more than 15 years as an architectural historian and historic preservationist for a variety of public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

About This Event: 

This program is hosted on Zoom. Upon registering you will receive an email confirmation and a Zoom link. If you do not receive a link, please contact ndennies@aiabalt.com. If you do not contact us at least 1 hour prior to the start of the program, we cannot guarantee admittance.

The Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) and Baltimore Heritage present the Virtual Histories Series: 30 minute live virtual tours and presentations focusing on Baltimore architecture, preservation and history. Hosted every Friday at 1:00 pm EST.

Tickets are donation based. We encourage you to give what you can to support BAF and Baltimore Heritage. Your support helps us make up for lost tour and program revenue from COVID-19 and create more virtual programs like this.