Interior, Academy of Music. North Howard Street near Franklin Street, Baltimore., circa 1926

The overall scope of PP8 is 10 boxes containing close to 1,500 images from circa 1910-1946, of which approximately 1,250 are modern prints from vintage glass or film negatives, 50 are vintage prints, and 200 are unprinted vintage negatives. The Hughes Collection provides an extensive professional documentation of many aspects of life in Baltimore city and county, and other Maryland counties.

These materials document life in Baltimore City and County, and other Maryland counties including Anne Arundel, Carroll, Harford, and Kent. Baltimore subjects include street scenes, buildings, shipping, industry, businesses, recreational and sports facilities, public buildings, residences, churches, hospitals, schools, monuments, and transportation

There are two sections of the Hughes Collection. The first section, known as PP8, covers dates circa 1910-1946. This section of the collection consists mainly of vintage glass plate negatives for which modern prints were made during the 1980s at the Maryland Historical Society, with some vintage prints and film negatives. The second section of the Hughes Collection, called the Hughes Studio Photograph Collection, which is known as PP30, covers dates circa 1940-1956 and consists of approximately 36,000 film negatives.