430/Maryland Manual

ADMINISTRATION

Christopher N. Allan, Administrator ... 974-3867

ACCOUNTING
Barbara Schisler...............................974-3916

COMMISSION ON ARTISTIC PROPERTY
(23.01.10.02)
FY1989 appropriation........................$67,818
Nancy M. Bramucci, Curator...........974-3867
Chairperson: Oden Bowie

Ap^med by State Archivist with Governor's
approval: Nancy Brennan; William Voss Elder
III; Sara Barker Hanan; Dorothy Mcllvain
Scott.

Ex officio: Winfield M. Kelly, Jr., Secretary of
State; Mary Pringle Symonds, President,
Historic Anna^is, Inc.; Dr. Kenneth N.
Weaver, Director, Maryland Geological
Survey.

COMPUTER PROJECTS
Lynne M. Browne, Editorial Administrator
...................................................974-3914

LAND OFFICE
Richard H. Richardson, Deputy
Commissioner of Land Patents.. 974-3916

LIBRARY
Shashi P. Thapar, Librarian.............974-3914

MAIL INQUIRIES
Richard H. Richardson...................974-3916

PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS
Mame Warren, Curator...................974-3916

PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES
Teresa Fountain, Director................974-3916

REFERENCE SERVICES
Benjamin M. Primer, Director.........974-3914

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Susan R. Cummings, Registrar........974-3914

STATE & LOCAL RECORDS
Patricia V. Melville, Director...........974-3862

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Dr. Gregory A. Stiverson,
Assistant State Archivist.........974-3916

CARROLL PAPERS
Dr. Ronald Hoffman.......................685-3750

CONSERVATION
Douglas P. McElrath, Director........974-3914

LECTURES & TRAINING
Phebe R. Jacobsen, Director............974-3914

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Sara Jane Rose, Senior Researcher.. 974-3914

MARYLAND FEDERALIST
Mimi Calver, Coordinator...............974-3914

MARYLAND MANUAL
Diane P. Frese, Editor.....................974-3917

MARYLAND OFFICE FOR THE
BICENTENNIAL OF THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION
Dr. Gregory A. Stiverson, Director.. 974-3916

PERSONNEL
Barbara Schisler...............................974-3916

PUBLICATIONS
Rick Blondo, Director.....................974-3914

RESEARCH

Jane McWilliams, Director...............974-3914

The origins of the State Archives can be traced
to the State's tercentenary celebrations in 1934. As
the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Mary-
land colony approached, the Maryland Tercente-
nary Commission made a modern, centralized
archives a key feature of the State's commemora-
tion. A "Memorial Hall of Records" was proposed
as early as 1928, and in 1931, the General Assembly
appropriated funds to erect an archives building.
Construction began in 1934; the Hall of Records
opened to the public a year later.

The General Assembly provided for the manage-
ment of the public records to be housed in the new
facility. A 1935 statute created the Hall of Records
Commission and provided for the collection,
custody, and preservation of the official records,
documents, and publications of the State (Chapter
18, Acts of 1935). The Hall of Records was created
in 1935 as an independent agency of State govern-
ment and remained so until its incorporation into
the Department of General Services in 1970 (Chap-
ter 97, Acts of 1970). In 1984, the Hall of Records
was renamed the State Archives and became an
independent agency within the office of the Gover-
nor (Chapter 286, Acts of 1984). The 1984 law
defined an advisory role for the Hall of Records
Commission and placed the Commission on Artis-
tic Property under the State Archives (Code State
Government Article, secs. 2-1513(b), 3-404(b),
7-213(a), 9-1001 through 9-1027, 10-604
through 10-608,10-631 through 10-634,10-637
through 10-642,10-701,10-702).

The State Archives is the historical agency for
Maryland. It serves as the central depository for
government records of permanent value. These re-
cords date back to the founding of the Maryland
colony in 1634. Among the Archives holdings are
colonial and State executive, legislative, and judicial
records; county probate, land, and court records;
church records; business records; State publications
and reports; and special collections of private pa-
pers, maps, photographs, and newspapers. Records
are stored in a humidity- and temperature-con-
trolled stack area. Preservation measures, including
deacidification, lamination, mylar encapsulation,
and archival bookbinding are carried out by the staff
of an in-house conservation laboratory Records are