There’s something fascinating about vintage photos. They give us a glimpse into the past, and help us try to wrap our heads around what living in that time would have been like. Below are 20 of the oldest photos taken in Maryland. We chose a sampling of images from around the state, showcasing a variety of landmarks, occupations, and more.

  1. The Baltimore Harbor viewed from Federal Hill in 1849.

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  1. Cabin John Bridge (now also known as Union Arch Bridge in Bethesda) photographed between 1862-1865.

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  1. The Naval Academy in Annapolis photographed between 1860-1865.

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  1. Posing for a portrait in Pleasant Valley. Photo captured between 1861-1865.

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  1. Main Street, Sharpsburg - complete with dirt roads, photographed in 1862

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  1. Burnside Bridge (which doesn’t look much different today), circa 1862.

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  1. President Abraham Lincoln visiting the battlefield at Antietam, circa 1862.

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  1. A Steamboat on the C & O Canal near Williamsport. Circa 1875-1880.

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  1. Students taking a break at St. Mary’s College Female Seminary. Photo taken in the late 1800s.

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  1. Men setting crab floats in Oxford. Photo taken in 1899.

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  1. A train photographed in Western Maryland, circa 1901.

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  1. An unique perspective of Baltimore’s now-iconic Lexington Market. Photo taken in 1903.

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  1. A mobile library photographed in Washington County, circa 1905.

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  1. A little girl picking in the fields near Baltimore in 1909.

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  1. A vintage shot of Glen Echo Park, photographed between 1909 - 1932.

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  1. A sea of hats at Baltimore-Washington Speedway in 1925.

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  1. The city of Frederick, circa 1936.

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  1. A way-back look at Catoctin Furnace between 1936-1937.

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  1. A woman scrubbing Baltimore’s once-pristine white marble steps. Photo captured in 1938.

John Vachon / Library of Congress LC-USF34-008530

  1. The Cumberland Fire Department, circa 1939.

Library of Congress / John Vachon / LC-USF33-T01-001367

Do you have any vintage photos taken in Maryland? Feel free to share to our Facebook page!

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John Vachon / Library of Congress LC-USF34-008530

Library of Congress / John Vachon / LC-USF33-T01-001367

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