Municipal Art Society minute book

The Municipal Art Society was founded in January 1899 by a number of prominent Baltimore citizens who had an interest in art, park development, and city planning. The first president of the Municipal Art Society was Daniel C. Gilman, and the first board of directors included Josias Pennington and John W. Garrett. The Municipal Art Society had no headquarters. Therefore, lectures were held at Hollins Market Hall, Cross St. Market Hall, Broadway Institute, as well as McCoy Hall of Johns Hopkins University. The board of directors often gathered for meetings at members' homes such as Theodore Marburg's at 14 W. Mount Vernon Place. Interested in the development of a park system for the city, the Municipal Art Society called upon Frederick Law Olmsted as a consultant on certain occasions. This organization also invested its effort and money in the placement of works of art in public places such as schools, government buildings, and parks.