Government
In 1914, Baltimore Wanted You to Know It Was the Best City Ever
A digitally preserved program from the city's Star Spangled Banner centennial festivities boasts about an unparalleled new sewer system, among other amenities.
In 1914, with visitors set to flood Baltimore for the Star Spangled Banner's centennial, local officials were eager to prove that the city was one of the world's great modern metropolises.
From Sept. 6 through Sept. 13 of that year, ceremonies were held to commemorate Baltimore's role in the War of 1812. In the official program, digitally preserved by Archive.org, has two sections that tell two stories: Baltimore and the war, followed by Baltimore and the 20th century.