Collecting in Quarantine Initiative Launched

(Baltimore, March 20, 2020) As we continue to face these challenging times together, the Maryland Historical Society* is finding new ways to bring Maryland history to you, and to continue its 175-year-legacy of collecting history, during this unprecedented time. MdHS is now crowd-sourcing for a new initiative – Collecting in Quarantine – to ensure future generations have a reference point for this pivotal moment in history as we navigate the novel coronavirus/COVID-19:

Letters from the Homefront: Inspired by the poignant letters in the MdHS collection documenting past adversities from the Spanish flu of 1918, to the Annapolis yellow fever epidemics of 1793 and 1800, MdHS is calling all Marylanders to send their personal stories of how the pandemic is impacting their lives. Whether you are staying at home in self-quarantine or working through the crisis – your story is unique and important. In addition to Marylanders here at home, MdHS is also interested in receiving accounts from Marylanders abroad and our healthcare workers. All submissions can be sent to lettersfromthehomefront@mdhistory.org, and can be followed on social media with #LettersFromtheHomeFrontMD
Business Unusual: At a time when business is anything but usual, businesses big and small are having to quickly react to the ever-changing landscape that necessarily puts public health before profit. With this, MdHS is asking business employees, owners, customers, passers-by and neighborhood residents to share their experiences so far. Photo submissions, and stories to go with them, can be sent to http://www.mdhistory.org/museum/collections/collecting-in-quarantine. MdHS will create a photo essay illustrating the industrial spirit of Marylanders during this critical time, and everyone can follow along on social media with #BusinessUnusualMD.

Some of MdHS’s submissions to the Collecting in Quarantine initiative will become part of future collections. One hundred years from now, present-day essays and photographs will grant historical perspective for the next challenge to the nation.

MdHS invites you to be a champion of history and participate in this collective work to preserve the Maryland experience.

* Now the Maryland Center for History and Culture.