Scaffolding for Hutzler building expansion, undated

The collection consists of approximately 2748 items including photographs, drawings, cartes de visites, cabinet cards, lantern slides, and film housed in 30 boxes, created in ca. 1850-ca.1990. Many items are undated. The Blakeslee-Lane photography studio made many of the photographs. There are also some photographs and lantern slides made by Barnett & Jaffe baja, Alexandre Georges Photography, Rettberg Brothers Photography and J.H. Schaefer and Son Photography.

Subjects encompass many aspects of the Hutzler Brothers and Co. department store on Howard St., as well as branch stores at Towson, Eastpoint, and Westview. Images include buildings, aerial views, retail departments, merchandise and displays, service vehicles and buildings, events in the stores including anniversary celebrations, fashion shows, and seasonal or theme events, and activities in the store during World War II. There are portraits of Hutzler family members as well as cabinet cards and cartes de visites of unidentified people. Some events featured local and national celebrities such as Buddy Deane, Johnny Unitas, WBAL-TV personalities, and Lauren Bacall. There are also images of typical Baltimore scenes and subjects, evidently taken for Hutzler's publications, including crab cookery and feasts, Pimlico horse races and sports teams such as the Orioles, Colts and Bullets with fans celebrating victories. There are also architectural sketches of Hutzler buildings and etchings by Emily Krize and Anne Didusch.

Identification of people, places, and dates are uneven across the collection. For those photographs which were already identified on the reverse of the image, or which could be identified in the course of processing, there is often ample information. However, many of the photographs remain unidentified and undated.