Tune in for a virtual watch party, hosted in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive (MARMIA) and the Steel Plant Museum of Western New York, of short films produced by Bethlehem Steel from the BMI’s Collections.
Baltimore at Mid-Century: People, Places, Priorities in the 1950’s
Join Senior Museum Educator Jack Burkert for another local history series.
The 1950s made lasting changes to the way people lived, how they moved in and around the region, and where they found employment. From the early “crisis” in absorbing returning veterans and new families, to the way those new families would seek entertainment and recreation, Baltimore would be a far different place in 1959 than it was in 1950. A decade many recall, but few realize how much of Baltimore’s 21st century had roots in the 1950’s.
Sparrows Point: an American Steel Story is a six-part series produced by Aaron Henkin in partnership with WYPR. The podcast is the newest part of the BMI’s Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, a multi-year community engagement and preservation initiative to document the 125-year history of the steelmaking giant.
You and your group will enjoy having the museum galleries and exhibits to yourselves for a full 90 minutes to self-tour and explore in a safe and socially distanced manner. Book your experience today and enjoy:
Access for your group of up to 10 family members/friends
10% discount in the museum gift shop
Free onsite parking for the duration of your visit
Honor the legacies of the men and women who worked at Bethlehem Steel by purchasing an engraved brick to be placed in the Baltimore Museum of Industry’s Bethlehem Steel Legacy Brick Garden.
The Brick Garden will be located in a prominent location on our campus near the Bethlehem shipyard crane that marks the museum entrance.
To learn more about our Buy-A-Brick program, click here.
Love Isn’t Cancelled
There’s nothing better than a beautiful wedding. But with the arrival of COVID-19, big celebrations came to a screeching halt last March, knocking out years of planning for more than 40 couples who had selected wedding dates at the BMI for 2020. Most were able to reschedule to dates in 2021. A few weddings proceeded as planned, with greatly reduced guest counts, modified food and drink service, and a dance floor of masked guests. Two events became micro-weddings—each with fewer than a dozen guests—a ceremony followed by a champagne toast, with a blow-out reception set to follow in 2021.
In each case, the BMI worked with the couple to achieve their vision while following ever-changing state and local capacity restrictions and health guidelines. A wedding is a huge investment of time, money, and emotion, and with COVID-19 restrictions, the event staff at the BMI understands the added stresses to planning such an important event.
Photo courtesy of Living Radiant Photography.
The Baltimore Museum of Industry now offers micro-wedding options for couples who are ready to tie the knot this spring, and we’re quickly booking up for 2021-22. To learn about event rentals and to set up a private tour of event space, click here.
LED lights will allow the crane to be lit in a variety of colors starting February 13.
A Valentine From the BMI to You
Thanks to the support of so many people in the BMI community, the restoration of the 1942 Bethlehem Steel shipyard crane is complete and is ready to light up the sky as a symbol of Baltimore's mighty past and a beacon towards an even brighter future. Be sure to look to the BMI waterfront or drive by on Key Highway after sunset on Saturday, February 13th, to see for yourself, a Valentine’s gift from the BMI to you, the museum’s friends and supporters.
The BMI is grateful to the many individuals, businesses, and foundations who made this important milestone possible. Learn more about the crane’s history and see the full list of generoussupporters.
The draft exhibit logo designed by Danielle Nekimken.
Bethlehem Steel Exhibit Work Underway
From J.M. Giordano’s Shuttered: Images from the Fall of Bethlehem Steel to the BMI’s newest outdoor exhibition, Women of Steel, temporary exhibits exploring the history of Bethlehem Steel and its workers have enriched the experience of museum visitors. Now, drawing on artifacts, photographs, and interviews collected from the Sparrows Point community, the BMI is in the midst of creating an original exhibition that reveals the proud stories behind Bethlehem Steel and the role played by workers and residents of Sparrows Point.
This exhibition, Fire and Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel, will be prominently installed in the BMI’s Decker Gallery, and is slated to open this fall. It’s the crown jewel in the multi-year Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project supported by Tradepoint Atlantic.
Work began on the Decker Gallery in January as we said goodbye to the Video Game Wizards exhibit and reconfigured the neon shop. As a long-term installation, the new exhibit will serve as a backdrop for Bethlehem Steel-related programs in the future, a community resource, and a vehicle for keeping the history of Sparrows Point alive for generations to come.
Work on the new exhibit is underway in the Decker Gallery.
We are able to offer many of our programs for free thanks to the generous support of our members and donors. Please consider making a donation or joining the BMI so we can continue doing so.
