Then And Now
The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum is among the
nations most dynamic cultural and educational institutions.
Because it is a wax museum committed solely to the study
and preservation of African American history, it is also
among the most unique. Primarily, the presentation of
life-size, life-like wax figures highlighting historical
and contemporary personalities of African ancestry defines
its uniqueness.
Where We Were
This unique museum, the first one of wax in Baltimore,
Maryland and the first wax museum of African American
history in the nation, is the brainchild of Drs. Elmer
and Joanne Martin. They established the museum in 1983
with several objectives in mind:
- To stimulate an interest
in African American history by revealing the little-known,
often-neglected facts of history
- To use great leaders
as role models to motivate youth to achieve
- To improve race relations
by dispelling myths of racial inferiority and superiority
- To support and work
in conjunction with other nonprofit, charitable organizations
seeking to improve the social and economic status of
African Americans
The museum had begun to carry out these objectives during
its two years on Saratoga Street where it received nearly
2,000 students from city and county schools during African
American history month of 1984 and about 2,500 during
that period in 1985. The Museum also received visitors
and tour groups from Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Virginia,
Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
The Martins soon realized that The National Great Blacks
In Wax Museum was finding it difficult to accommodate
large groups and had begun to outgrow the 1,200 square
foot facility. Therefore, they initiated a search for
a larger building and for funds to develop a new museum.
In 1985, State Senator Clarence Blount sponsored a bill
awarding the museum a $100,000 matching grant. The same
year the Martins closed the Saratoga Street facility and,
with the help of their newly formed Board of Trustees,
launched a fund-raising campaign to match the grant. The
museum has shown that tourism can thrive in a nontraditional
setting. Its patronage more than quadrupled since the
move ten years ago to this community on Baltimore's eastside
ranging from 43,000 in 1989 to nearly 300,000 annual visitors
today.
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