{"id":4182,"date":"2026-08-05T20:40:54","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T20:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/finding-aids\/coll111\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T20:40:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T20:40:54","slug":"coll111","status":"publish","type":"finding_aid","link":"https:\/\/library.umbc.edu\/specialcollections\/finding-aids\/coll111\/","title":{"rendered":"Joseph L. Arnold papers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h2>
Title:<\/strong><\/td>Joseph L. Arnold papers<\/td><\/tr>
Call Number:<\/strong><\/td>Coll111<\/td><\/tr>
Creator:<\/strong><\/td>Arnold Joseph L.<\/td><\/tr>
Dates:<\/strong><\/td>1970-2003<\/td><\/tr>
Size:<\/strong><\/td>59 boxes (56 linear feet)<\/td><\/tr>
Abstract:<\/strong><\/td>These papers contain more than three decades of research\n on Baltimore history by the urban historian and longtime UMBC History Department faculty\n member Joseph L. Arnold. Within this collection are Dr. Arnold’s manuscripts for two\n works on the history of Baltimore. The bulk of the collection is Dr. Arnold’s extensive\n Baltimore subject files, mostly containing reproductions from 19th century editions of\n the Baltimore Sun interspersed with his hand-written notes on various topics. His\n research interests covered the economic, social and political history of Baltimore,\n covering topics ranging from marriage and divorce to manufacturing, from city\n neighborhoods and annexation to weather and seasons, and from streetcars to sanitation.\n The final two series cover his chapters, articles, reviews and conference papers as well\n as his teaching materials.<\/td><\/tr>
Language:<\/strong><\/td>English<\/td><\/tr>
Citation:<\/strong><\/td>Joseph L. Arnold papers, Collection 111, Special Collections, University of Maryland,\n Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Administrative\/Biographical Note<\/h2>

Joseph Larkin Arnold (1937-2004) was a prominent urban historian and a professor and\n leader at UMBC, serving on the faculty of the History Department beginning in 1968.\n Known as “the dean of Baltimore historians,” Arnold published over 60 articles,\n chapters, and reviews on the topics of American cities, Baltimore history, historical\n research methods, and comparative urban history. Arnold is the namesake of the Albin O.\n Kuhn Library’s Joseph L. Arnold Maryland History Collection, which includes over 3,300\n volumes on Maryland history, biography, and literature as well as newspapers,\n manuscripts and pamphlets.<\/p>

Scope & Content<\/h2>

The collection is organized into five series: Series I: Chronological manuscript drafts,\n 1995-2003. Series II: Thematic manuscript drafts, 1994-2000. Series III: Subject files,\n 1865-1918 (bulk). Series IV: Written material, 1974-1991. Series V: Teaching materials,\n 1970-2002.<\/p>

Provenance Information<\/h2>

This collection was donated by Mary Jane Arnold, Joseph L. Arnold’s widow, in 2004. She\n moved the files to the Special Collections department in the UMBC Library between 2011\n and 2014.<\/p>

This collection was processed under the supervision of Archivist Lindsey Loeper and\n graduate assistant Aunaleah Gelles. Prior to transferring the boxes to UMBC, Mary Jane\n Arnold started organizing the files into a subject list and describing their contents.\n Each file was grouped by subject in the 14 categories established by Dr. Arnold. In fall\n 2013, the boxes were numbered and the refoldering process began; files containing too\n many materials were broken into several parts and duplicative files were combined when\n possible. Boxes and folders were replaced but the original order was maintained as\n closely as possible. His collection of research notes and writings on Victorian\n Baltimore were kept together and added as a new subseries near the end of Series III.\n His bibliographic reference materials, dating from his arrival at UMBC in 1969 to 2003,\n were also added to the end of Series III. Approximately 100 student papers were removed\n and placed under restricted use. These are stored separately from the rest of Series\n III. This finding aid reflects the status of the Arnold papers in April 2014. Changes\n should be expected within all of the current series and sub-series as additional\n materials are processed by Special Collections staff.<\/p>

Access & Use<\/h2>

No restrictions.<\/p>

Reproductions allowed for research purposes. Copyright maintained by the creator.<\/p>

Subject Headings<\/h2>