Newest Additions to the Archives

Highlights from the Lidinsky Political Campaign Collection at Langsdale

We are pleased to announce the addition of two new archival collections this fall: the Frank Lidinsky Political Campaign Collection and the Betty Garman Robinson Papers on community organizing. Both collections are part of the Baltimore Regional Studies Archives in the library’s Special Collections.

Why were these materials added to the archives at Langsdale? Frank Lidinsky, a 1976 alumnus of the UB School of Law, assembled a truly impressive collection of political flyers, buttons, bumper stickers, and campaign signs that chronicle local politics throughout the second half of the 20th century. These materials have been carefully cared for and organized over time, transforming ephemera—or records created for short-term use, then typically discarded—into a valuable set of visual artifacts from local political history.

Equally valuable to researchers are the records in the Betty Garman Robinson Papers. Robinson’s work as a local community organizer, particularly her work with the Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC), is documented in these papers. SMEAC was a grassroots neighborhood coalition of residents in East Baltimore that fought the loss of their homes through eminent domain during the construction of the Johns Hopkins biotech park.

Records like these, which document neighborhood and local political activity, as well as urban planning and redevelopment initiatives, build on the core collection strengths of the Baltimore Regional Studies Archives. The staff of Special Collections has described these collections in our online archival database and we're ready to schedule your research appointment to use these historically significant local research materials!