Are You a...
Take a Tour!
Resource Center
Resource Center
Visit the Resource Center located on the fourth floor of the museum; the Resource Center has a reference collection with a focus on African American history and culture. Collections include the Maryland Wall featuring titles on the Maryland African American experience, children’s books, art history of the African Diaspora and the Mary Carter Smith Folklore Collection. The Center has public access computers, an exhibit case display and an oral history recording studio. The mission of the Resource Center is to promote research of Maryland African American history and culture through collections, programs and museum education.
Public Hours & Admission:
Wednesday, Friday & first and third Saturdays: Noon to 4pm.
The Center is closed Maryland State holiday weekends.
Admission to the Resource Center is free; this does not include access to the museum’s galleries.
Reference Assistance
For reference assistance please contact the center during the week by phone or email. Researchers are welcome to visit during public hours or they can make an appointment.
Research Appointment Request Form
Contact Information
Phone: 443-263-1816
Email: Resourcecenter@maamc.org
Reginald F. Lewis Museum
830 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Attn: Resource Center Manager
Lewis Catalog
Click to access the online catalog and enter search terms by “all words”, title, author or subject.
Guide to the Marylandia Collection
The Murray Guide lists the center’s reference books on the Maryland African American experience by subject. It was created to assist users conducting state and local history research. The guide is named after Baltimore native Daniel Alexander Payne Murray (1852-1925) who was a bibliophile and an Associate Librarian at the Library of Congress.
Genealogy at the Resource Center
Have you started your family tree? Family history sessions are offered during public hours on Wednesdays, Fridays and selected Saturdays. Researchers can also make an appointment. Maryland ancestry is not required to participate. The Center also offers a quarterly genealogy program, reference books and finding aids by state.
Stay Connected: Maryland African American History Websites (2012)
Download this updated website list on the Maryland African American experience covering over 20 subject areas.
Maryland Slave Narratives
This collection of slave narratives documents the experiences of Maryland’s enslaved population from as early as the 18th century to the last generation of Marylanders who were enslaved. These narratives recount stories of family life, the “peculiar institution” of slavery in the country and city, religion, escape and life in freedom.
Pictured: Rev. David Smith (1784 - ?), from the Biography of Rev. David Smith of the A.M.E. Church.
