Mears, Ben, circa 1860-1900

The Alonzo J. May Photograph Collection contains the photographs related to May’s “Men and Women of the Stage” and “Dramatic Encyclopedia of Baltimore, 1750-1904,” which document the history of theater. The collection illustrates the places and people written about in May’s books.

The collection is broken into six series: Actor Portraits; Children’s theater; Theaters; Baltimore Buildings; Miscellaneous; and Oversized Photographs. The photographs are organized within the series alphabetically by subject. Portraits of actors and actresses make up the bulk of the collection. The portraits vary in size but are primarily carte-de-visites and cabinet cards, and some of the photographs are autographed by the sitter. The collection also includes photographs of Baltimore theaters, such as the Holliday Street Theatre and Arnold’s Olympic Theatre, and other landmarks. Later photographs of children’s theater productions also are a part of the collection.