In the 1970’s three photographers explored the social life of a changing city with their East Baltimore Documentary Photography Project. The archive created by the project contains over 10,000 photographs, interviews, and transcripts. The materials highlight a vibrant, but transforming, landscape where the front stoops played a central role in the social life of the community. The current analysis examines the archive comparatively with reflections on the current status of East Baltimore and the larger social and community issues present in the city. At the center of the analysis is an investigation into the way the built environment impacts one’s understanding of power, privilege, and non-verbal communication in urban settings. How were the stoops framed as markers of community, and how are these spaces changing in the current historical context?
About the presenterT Sanders-Criner
Media and Communication Studies, University of Maryland(UMBC), 2020 Interests: Technical use of Social Media, Big data