Herman Fischer, a plant custodian for the now closed National Brewing Company building on Conkling Street, Highlandtown. In 1975 the National Brewing Company was merged with Carling Brewing Company. Shortly thereafter the plant at Conkling and Dillon Streets was closed. As a result, most of the employees were either transferred or laid off. Five, including Herman Fischer, are still working in East Baltimore as plant custodians, 1979 November

This collection consists of 219 black and white photographs taken in East Baltimore from 1976 to 1980 as part of the East Baltimore Documentary Photography Project by Linda G. Rich (1949-1998), Clark Netherwood (1932-2021), and Elinor B. Cahn (1925-2020). The photographs depict various subjects including religious and ethnic communities, local businesses and factories, portraiture of community members, the interiors and exteriors of Baltimorean homes, and general geographic shots of the city.

Included among these photographs are some well-known Baltimoreans such as Johnny Eck (1911-1991), an early American filmmaker and actor in the 1932 film “Freaks;” Edith Massey (1918-1984), an actress known for her collaborative work with the filmmaker John Waters; and Joe Poodles (1909-1982), a boxer who contributed to the early 20th century boxing profession. The photographs also include several cultural events such as the “I Am An American Day” parade, which was held annually by the East Baltimore neighborhoods to celebrate immigrants that had received American citizenship. Additionally, there are several photographs of arabbers, street vendors who sold their wares on horse-drawn carts along the streets of Baltimore.