On May 27, 1986 the News American printed its final issue ending a Baltimore newspaper dynasty that began in 1773 with the Maryland Journal and the Baltimore Advertiser. An enduring legacy of this 213-year newspaper publishing tradition is the collection of over 1.5 million photographic images from the News American which the Hearst Corporation donated to the University of Maryland.

Photographs began appearing regularly in American newspapers in the early years of the twentieth century. To an American public already accustomed to illustrated books and magazines, newspaper photographs were yet another technological advance that wetted an appetite for visual documentation of the world. Fierce competition among daily newspapers forced editors and publishers to adopt the potent combination of words and images or face certain extinction.

Like their competitors in Baltimore, the papers that later became the News American assembled a stable of staff photographers whose pictures would draw readers into the story. The images produced by this activity were stored in the "morgue" which, over time, grew into a massive photographic collection. Learn more about the Baltimore News American Photograph Collection. Consult our bibliography for additional resources on the history of the Baltimore News American, including list of publications which feature images from the collection.

This exhibit seeks to display some of the diversity of images in the News American photo archives: from politics and sports to everyday life in Baltimore. These photographs represent the "Views of the Day." Learn more about the history of the exhibit, or follow the link below to view the exhibit.

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