16 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT

AIDS TO RESEARCH

The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Archivist appeared April 2, 1954.
Its value to searchers is found primarily in its list of accessions, because our
only printed catalogue which dates from 1942 lists our holdings of 1941.
It is also useful because of its description of publications, new indexes and
other added finding media.

The Maryland Manual for 1953-54 came from the printer on December
15, 1953. It was thoroughly revised following the long session of the
General Assembly of that year. The chart of Maryland government and
the illustrations were new, and we added information on the first charter
dates of all Maryland incorporated places. For archivists and librarians
perhaps the most useful feature is the list of all current publications of
Maryland State Agencies, which has become a regular feature of the Manual
since its publication was entrusted to the Hall of Records.

Buildings of the State of Maryland at Annapolis, Publication No. 9 of
the Hall of Records Commission, was released June 9, 1954. This volume
was a departure from the character of our other publications which are
primarily finding aids. In this work we ourselves took advantage of the
rich collection we have built at the Hall of Records to write history from
primary sources. We were hesitant to take this step, but the reception
which the book has had indicates that we need not have been. Encouraging
reviews have appeared but all of them after the end of the fiscal year.
However, beginning with the last week in June and continuing for three
weeks, the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore devoted a handsome
window display to the book.

Calendar of Maryland State Papers Number 4, Par f 5, the Red Books,
Publication No. 10 of the Hall of Records Commission, was sent to the
printer during the last week of the fiscal year. It will appear early in 1955,
and at that time we will have completed the whole Rainbow Series. We
do, nevertheless, contemplate one more volume to be devoted to materials
of the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, which for reasons not now clear
were excluded from the bound Rainbow Series.

The Index to the Laws of Maryland, 1800-1920, which was described
in the last Annual Report of the Archivist, was completed this year. It
is composed of five large volumes of negative photostatic copies of three-
by-five cards. It proved to be an expensive undertaking, but it is of un-
doubted usefulness.