Old Baltimore



"I was raised in the 100 block of South Fulton Ave. in West Baltimore, near the Hollins Market. Saturday was market day. The Market extended eastward to Poppleton Street. I took my little red wagon there to carry people’s groceries home for a few cents per wagonload..."
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	click on any work to enlarge



Bond & Thames St	1700 Block Thames Street	1700 Block Thames Street - detail
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Hollins Market	Thames Street	Thames Street - detail
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Gayety Theatre - Imprimatura	Gayety Theatre	Hollins Market 2
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Lloyd Street Synagogue	Market Place - detail of fountain	Park Avenue
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Hippodrome Theatre	Hippodrome - detail	Broadway Market & Fleet Street
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Gay Street Engine House	Rag Bone Man	City Snow
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Camden Street Produce Market	Papst Brewery	Papst Brewery - detail




Orchard Street	City Hall	Lonesome Loft
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		Lonesome Loft - detail
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1700 Block Thames Street - The Waterfront Hotel is center left. The owners frequently arranged art shows on the second floor. Good restaurant. I drank quite a lot of beer here. This view is through the arch of “City Pier” across the street. Top

1700 Block Thames Street - detail A local fellow here for years seen on the waterfront was Steve Bunker. He operated a marine antique and salvage business in the 1700 block Thames Street. He owned 3 parrots, and is shown here with one on his shoulder. Alas, the area has become 'gentrified'. Top

Thames Street - detail - The horse drawn produce vendors and their wagons are unique to the streets of Baltimore. In all the U.S.A., only in Baltimore is it legal to sell fruits and vegetables on the streets via this method. I see these vendors out in all kinds of weather, and frequently after dark. It's a hard life. Top

The Hippodrome Theatre- As I remember it in the 1940’s. The marquee had about 10,000 lights. They even featured occasional circus acts. Top

Gayety Theatre Imprimatura - With complex subjects, sometimes an imprimatura is first applied to the canvas to resolve problems. The painting follows the imprimatura.

The Gayety Theatre - On “The Block” (the 400 block of East Baltimore Street). I worked nearby in the 400 block of Water Street and remember the occasional visits. Because of the nature of the "performances" held at the Gayety, a sidewalk preacher was always nearby to "save lost souls." Top

Hollins Market – I was raised in the 100 block of S. Fulton Ave. in West Baltimore. Market day was Saturday. The Market extended eastward to Poppleton Street. I took my little red wagon there to carry people’s groceries home. Top

Broadway Market - Prevas Bros. famous sandwich and soda shop. That ‘Cloverland’ sign was there at least sixty years. Top

Market Place - Detail of fountain at Water Street. In the early 1900’s, hundreds of farmers and horse drawn wagons came here to do business. Top

Rag Bone Man - is the English name for a salvage dealer, and no doubt harkens back to our colonial days . Here, he is just ,"The junk man". The Rag Bone Man with his beat-up push cart is still a frequent sight on Baltimore's inner city streets. As they made their rounds they would call out, "Rag Bone Man". Top

Bond and Thames Street - on corner, Dudas Tavern had excellent crab cakes. Top

Lonesome Loft - It stood alone at the corner of Guilford and Pleasant Street and behind it is a part of the Orleans Street Viaduct. It was a dark brownish red brick loft building which stood completely alone for quite a few years - thus I called it "Lonesome Loft". I never did do the painting. It was rather gloomy, and frankly I just didn't think I would be able to sell it very easily. Demolition type scenes don't sell well. I had ideas for a rather dramatic painting too which I knew would be just too gloomy to sell. Look at this attachment, then look at your Hopper print, "Skyline Near Washington Square."

Web editors note: When I first saw Melvin's drawing of Lonesome Loft, it immediately reminded me of Edward Hopper's "Skyline Near Washington Square." I laughed when he told me he thought "Loft" was gloomy and, "Demolition type scenes don't sell well." In 2004 Melvin, to my delight, completed "Lonesome Loft," in oil, "in a Flemish technique."
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