Our Collections
 
 

The collections at the Maryland State Archives cover the entire course of Maryland history - from the founding of the colony in 1634 right up to the present. We have government records, private papers, photographs, maps, newspapers, artifacts, and paintings and fine arts. 

Because our core mission is to preserve the records of our state government, our largest collections are made up of agency records of permanent value, governors' papers, court documents, and legislative proceedings. Many of these records relate directly to citizens' lives; such as plats of the property they own; records relating to family history, such as births, marriages, and deaths; and documentation of military service, discharges, and pensions. 

Our collections of private papers include letters, journals, family histories, drawings, scrapbooks, and many other documents and artifacts given to the Archives over the years. Our photographic collections provide visual documentation of the history of the state from the mid-19th century to the present and our map collections date back to the earliest days of exploration of the New World. The state art collections capture the history of the state through portraiture and history paintings, as well as providing a rich artistic heritage for future generations.