Skip Navigation

Location Closure The Forest Park, Washington Village, Herring Run, & Brooklyn branches are closed for renovations. Learn more here.

Colonial Period (1633-1763)

Early Maryland map - Boundary Lines plan detail

Detail of an early Maryland map showing Boundary Lines between Maryland and Pennsylvania (the Mason-Dixon Line)

Early Maryland history - detail of an engraved portrait of Cecil Calvert, with coat of arms, 1657

Detail of a 1657 engraved portrait of Cecil Calvert, second Baron Baltimore, with coat of arms and motto

Revolutionary Era (1764-1789) - War of 1812 (1812-1815)

sketch of Admiral Cockburn burning and plundering Havre de Grace, Maryland

Sketch of Admiral Cockburn burning and plundering Havre de Grace, Maryland, June 1813

View of the bombardment of Fort McHenry - detail of a print from Digital Maryland

View of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, September 1814

Searching Early Maryland by Physical Format

Maps & Land Records

  • The Library of Congress has a large selection of digitized maps from the state of Maryland. Some examples include maps from 1738, 1795 (1), 1795 (2), and 1799.
  • The Maryland Historical Society has a large collection of maps in their special collections reading room.
  • Digital Maryland has made maps of Maryland from the Enoch Pratt Free Library/SLRC's collection available online.
  • Early land records in the collection of the Maryland State Archives are available online through plats.net.

Visual Material (Prints and Photos)

  • Photos: Digital Maryland, the Library of Congress, and the Maryland Historical Society are good sources for early photographs available online. Local libraries and historical societies can be great sources for original photographs, though a trip to the institution is usually required as most material is not available digitally.
  • Prints: A large selection of prints is available through the Maryland Historical Society. If you're interested in seeing more Maryland prints, check out Maryland History in Prints, 1743-1900, by Laura Rice, and Maryland Historical Prints, 1752 to 1889: A Selection From the Robert G. Merrick Collection, Maryland Historical Society, and Other Maryland Collections, by Lois B. McCauley.
GreenMount Cemetery print Digital Maryland, 1848

Green Mount Cemetery, 1848 print from the Special Collections Department, Cator Collection of Baltimore Views

A print showing Locust Point and Canton from the Cator Collection of Baltimore Views

Locust Point and Canton, ca. 1860 from the Cator Collection of Baltimore Views (Digital Maryland)

Maryland Department
More Information
Maryland Department entrance with sign and card catalog drawers inside

Maryland Department


The Maryland Department is a comprehensive collection of materials related to the state of Maryland.

Periodicals Department
More Information
browsing a newspaper on microfilm

Periodicals Department


An in-depth, retrospective collection of newspapers, journals, and magazines in paper, microform, and online full-text formats.

If you would like to know more, try our Live Chat with a Librarian service, or contact us.