Views of Baltimore -- Past and Present

by Michael Tormey, September, 2002 (updated November, 2008)

In 1850, Patrick Tormey moved his family from the small town of Frederick, Maryland to the big city of Baltimore. In the century and a half that has followed, our family has grown up alongside this dynamic, harbor city. Its culture and history have become a part of our heritage. It is a part of our family psyche.

Many of us "Maryland Tormeys" are now spread out across the United States -- typical of many modern American families that have migrated cross country since the 1960s. Nonetheless, many descendants of Patrick Tormey continue to reside in Baltimore, some six generations later.

The following photographs and architectural renderings offer both a view of Baltimore as our ancestors saw it and a modern view of the city that it has evolved into today. Some photos are a part of our family collection, having been handed down through the generations. Others were obtained from the American Memory Historical Collections of the U.S. Library of Congress.  The hand-drawn architectural renderings are all the personal work of my grandfather, Joseph Heuisler Tormey, Sr. (1898-1976).

Click on the images below to see a full-sized version of each photo.
(Note: Each photo will open in a new browser window.)

Baltimore's 1880 Sesquicentennial:  Miscellaneous views of downtown Baltimore taken in 1880, on the 150th anniversary of the original founding of Baltimore.  (Note that the "founding" of Baltimore in 1730 is recognized separately from the incorporation of Baltimore as a city, which took place in 1797, and for which a 200th anniversary was celebrated in 1997.)

Photographic prints; unknown photographer; Tormey Family collection.

Eutaw Street and Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore's 1880 Sesquicentennial:  Photo of Baltimoreans posing with a horse-drawn fire engine under a sesquicentennial celebration archway at the corner of Eutaw Street and Druid Hill Avenue. 

Photographic print; unknown photographer; Tormey Family collection.

Obelisk at Howard, Lombard and Liberty Streets, Baltimore's 1880 Sesquicentennial:  Photo of an obelisk made of wood and covered with plaster bearing Egyptian hieroglyphics; located at the intersection of Howard, Lombard and Liberty Streets. 

Photographic print; unknown photographer; Tormey Family collection.

Overseas Arrivals, 1892: "Emigrant [sic] Receiving Piers, Locust Point, Baltimore" 

Glass negative; Jackson, William Henry, 1892; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection, Digital ID det 4a32844.

Lexington Market, c. 1900:  "Lexington Market, Baltimore, Maryland" 

Glass negative; unknown photographer, c. 1900; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection, Digital ID det 4a20850.

Great Fire of 1904: "Panoramic Photograph of Baltimore Fire"

Silver printing-out paper (original print 11.5" x 29"); E. Chickering & Co, 1904; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a05868.

Great Fire of 1904 -- View from Hanover Street:  "Cycloramic View of Baltimore's Big Fire from Hanover Street"

Print on gelatin silver (original print 7.5" x 45.5"); Frederick W. Mueller, 1904; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a05843.

Great Fire of 1904 -- View of Downtown near the old Post Office: "Cycloramic View of the Burned Area of Baltimore's Big Fire"

Print on gelatin silver (original print 8.5" x 45"); Frederick W. Mueller, 1904; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a05834.

Baltimore Harbor, 1905:  "Harbor of Baltimore"

Print on gelatin silver (original print 6.5" x 34"); J. W. Schaefer, 1905; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a05878.

Light Street, looking north, c. 1906: "Light Street, looking north, Baltimore, Maryland"

Glass negative; unknown photographer, c. 1906; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection, Digital ID det 4a13150.

Baltimore Stock Exchange, 1906: "Stock Exchange, Baltimore, Maryland"

Glass negative; Detroit Publishing Co., 1906; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection, Digital ID det 4a13153.  

(Historical note: The Baltimore Stock Exchange merged into the Philadelphia Stock Exchange in 1949.)

Panoramic view of the Baltimore, 1912: "Panoramic View of Baltimore from the Emerson Tower"

Print on gelatin silver (original print 9.5' x 77.5"); Frederick W. Mueller, 1912; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a19486.

Baltimore Harbor, 1913: "Panoramic View #3 of Baltimore, MD"

Print on gelatin silver (original print 10" x 60.5"); Haines, 1913; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Panoramic Photographs, Digital ID pan 6a13348.

View of Typical Row Homes, 1940: "Row Houses, Baltimore, Maryland"

Film negative; Jack Delano, June 1940; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Digital ID fsa 8c02589. 

1940's Street Scene: "Baltimore - Washington Blvd, U. S. Highway No. 1, Baltimore, Maryland" 

Film negative; Jack Delano, June 1940; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Digital ID fsa 8c02579. 

Rendering of Port of Baltimore, c. 1946:  One of a series of several architectural renderings of harborside development at the Port of Baltimore. 

Hand-drawn rendering, c. 1946; Joseph Heuisler Tormey, Sr.; Commissioned by the J. E. Greiner Co.;  Tormey Family collection (compliments of John McDivit Tormey).

Rendering of Friendship Airport (BWI), 1947:  A pre-construction architectural rendering of the proposed terminal building for the Friendship Airport of Baltimore (a precursor to today's BWI/Baltimore-Washington International Airport), arguably the most modern airport of its time. 

Hand-drawn rendering, 1947; Joseph Heuisler Tormey, Sr.; Commissioned by the J. E. Greiner Co.; One of a series of several renderings on the airport project; Tormey Family collection (compliments of John McDivit Tormey). 

Rendering of Chesapeake Bay Bridge, 1948:  An architectural rendering of the Bay Bridge project.

Hand-drawn rendering, 1948; Joseph Heuisler Tormey, Sr.; Commissioned by the J. E. Greiner Co. (consulting engineers on the bridge project); Tormey Family collection (compliments of John McDivit Tormey).

Saturday at the Inner Harbor, 2002:  A typical weekend view along the docks at the Inner Harbor, approaching "Harbor Place", a popular spot for families, shoppers, tourists or just those wanting a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

Harbor Place, 2002:  Located downtown, alongside the Inner Harbor, Harbor Place is both a premier shopping destination and a popular dining and entertainment center.

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

The U.S.S. Constellation, located at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Pier 1, 2002:  First placed in commission in July, 1855, the U.S.S. Constellation is the last all sail warship built by the U.S. Navy. (Her keel was laid and construction begun in 1853, just before steam propulsion was adopted as auxiliary power for all new warships.) Over the course of a century, she served her country in a number of varied roles. Before the Civil War, she served as the flagship of the African Squadron, on anti-slavery patrol off the coast of Africa. During the Civil War, she both served in blockading squadrons and protected U.S. merchant ships from confederate raiders. For much of her life after the Civil War, she served as a training ship for naval academies and training centers, but also filled other valuable roles, such as carrying relief supplies to famine starved Ireland in the 1880s. Following World War II, in 1955, the Constellation was brought to Baltimore for restoration and preservation as a public museum. (For more information, see www.constellation.org.)

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

A Dockside View of Baltimore's World Trade Center, 2002:  Though only 27 stories tall, the Baltimore World Trade Center is the world's tallest equilateral pentagonal building (a five-sided building of perfectly equal sides). It's observation deck, known as Top of the World, is open to the public and offers spectacular views of the city and harbor. The building serves as headquarters of the Maryland Port Administration and is home to numerous companies and state agencies. (On the bottom of this page is a panoramic shot of the city taken from the Top of the World observation deck.)

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

The Power Plant Entertainment Complex, 2002:  One of the biggest structures at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the "Power Plant" was originally built in three stages between 1900 and 1909. It was a functioning power plant, providing electricity and steam heat to downtown buildings until 1973. The city bought the plant from Baltimore Gas & Electric in 1979 and converted it to an indoor Six Flags urban theme park. The endeavor was unprofitable and closed after only 4 years of operation. Subsequently, in the late 1990's, in a partnership between the city and developers, it was converted into a thriving, mixed-use development that is now considered one of the leading entertainment projects in the U.S. The main power plant building is home to the nation's first ESPN Zone, a Hard Rock Cafe, Barnes and Noble, and a Gold's Gym. The adjacent Power Plant Live houses a collection of 15 different entertainment venues (restaurants, bars, dance clubs, dueling piano bars, etc.).

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

The National Aquarium, 2002:  Originally opened in 1981, the National Aquarium (also known as the Baltimore Aquarium), has become one of Maryland's leading tourist attractions, drawing over 1.6 million visitors per year. It is a massive structure, housing a number of exhibits, including dolphin shows, a 335,000-gallon shark and sea life exhibit and a simulated rainforest ecosystem.

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

A Descriptive Monument at the Inner Harbor Describing the Great Fire of 1904:  This monument at the Inner Harbor describes how the Great Fire started and summarizes the extent of damages suffered. It includes "before and after" photographs from 1904 and is positioned to show the visitor the exact same view plane of the city today.

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.

A Panoramic View of Downtown, 2002: The view as seen from the observation deck on the 27th floor of Baltimore's World Trade Center. (This is actually three separate photos that I spliced together for a larger panoramic view.)

Digital photo; Michael Tormey; June, 2002.