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Maryland Department of General Services to Host B&O Railroad Museum Exhibit in Celebration of Black History Month

BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) Capital Grants Division and Facilities, Operations and Maintenance (FOM), in collaboration with the B&O Railroad Museum, today announced the opening of a new, temporary exhibit of paintings and photographs, entitled “Best in Service.” The exhibit, not previously publicly displayed, is from the B&O archives and will be available to the public on displayed in the lobby of the 301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore. The exhibit is a part of the department’s community outreach efforts and is in celebration of Black History Month. The exhibit honors the service and contributions of African Americans to the B&O Railroad.

“We are honored to be able to host this exhibit during Black History Month,” said Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “The outstanding work performed by African Americans for the B&O Railroad is a little-known fact. This exhibit tells the story of their many roles and contributions.”

Best In Service features original paintings by American illustrators Dan Content and Roy Frederick Spreter. Commissioned by the B&O Railroad in the early 1930s, these artists painted full-page, oil on canvas railroad scenes of service primarily used for creating advertisements for publications such as the “Saturday Evening Post” and the “B&O Employee Magazine.”

Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native and the first African American to serve on the U. S. Supreme Court, worked as a waiter and porter on board B&O dining cars while earning a college degree at Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His life and service are highlighted in the exhibit. The lives and service of three other prominent African American B&O employees are also highlighted – Fearless M. Williams, Charles Wright and Maggie Hudson.

The exhibit is free to the public and is open from Friday, February 8, 2019 through Friday, March 1, 2019.

 

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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.


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