{"id":16,"date":"2025-01-30T20:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T20:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2025-04-03T19:02:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T19:02:53","slug":"social-life","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/themes-explored\/social-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The photographers of the East Baltimore Documentary Photography Project aimed to capture the everyday lives of East Baltimoreans through their work. Specifically, they were interested in how residents socialized and how their surroundings affected their ways of life. The aspects of social life that Linda Rich, Elinor Cahn, and Joan Netherwood were particularly interested in were street life, taverns as gathering places, churches, festivals, parades, and other celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents often had a general feeling of safety in their neighborhoods. Many people found opportunity for social interaction on the streets outside their homes. It was typical to see people sitting out on their front stoops, conversing with whomever passed by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Woman<\/a>
Transient tenants, 2200 Block E. Baltimore Street (1980) by Elinor B. Cahn <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Woman<\/a>
Mary Kujawa in the doorway of her Canton home (1979) by Elinor B. Cahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Large<\/a>
Neighbors Often Visit on Their Front Steps (1978) by Joan Clark Netherwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Historically, taverns were often used as a gathering place for unionizing workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As working conditions in Baltimore improved through the progression of the 20th century, taverns transformed into a more social, communal place of gathering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Business
John & Maxine, Mary’s Polish Haven, Fells Point (1979?) by Linda G. Rich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many families of East Baltimore socialized through means of religious life. Many churches held regular events that were widely attended by the community. Judge Carl Bachrach, associate judge of the district court of Maryland and former state legislator, claimed \u201cgoing to church was a real way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Elderly<\/a>
Polish-American war mothers on the steps of St. Casimir’s Church on Memorial Day, 1979 (1979) by Elinor B. Cahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Women<\/a>
Saturday afternoon bingo, St. Casimir’s Church (1979) by Elinor B. Cahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Young<\/a>
Melissa Massaroni After Her First Communion At Our Lady of Pompei Church in Highlandtown, May 1978 (1978) by Joan Clark Netherwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Festivals, parades, and celebrations were common within the neighborhoods of East Baltimore. The East Baltimore Documentary Photography Project focused significantly on the \u201cI Am An American Day\u201d Parade, an annual event spanning from Patterson Park to Fells Point commemorating and inspiring American patriotism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Children<\/a>
Polish East Baltimoreans Have Honored General (1979) by Joan Clark Netherwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"People<\/a>
Viewers of the ‘I Am an American Day Parade’ (1978) by Joan Clark Netherwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Group<\/a>
Awards ceremony at Boy Scout camporee in Patterson Park (1980) by Elinor B. Cahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Woman<\/a>
Highlandtown Halloween Parade (1979?) by Linda G. Rich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Child<\/a>
Fund-raising fashion show for the benefit of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church Hall damaged by fire (1978) by Elinor B. Cahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Children<\/a>
St. Gabriel’s Day Festival Is Well Attended (1979) by Joan Clark Netherwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The photographers of the East Baltimore Documentary Photography Project aimed to capture the everyday lives of East Baltimoreans through their work. Specifically, they were interested in how residents socialized and how their surroundings affected their ways of life. The aspects of social life that Linda Rich, Elinor Cahn, and Joan Netherwood were particularly interested in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions\/124"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/ebdpp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}