A Walk Through Old Baltimore: A Pictorial

• An Art Deco building graces South President Street.
• A fixture in the landscape of Baltimore, The Shot Tower is where cannonballs were once made.
• Art Deco even influences private homes, as seen in this North Charles Street edifice.
• The Charles, a favorite movie theater north of Penn Station.
• The Hotel Belvedere, an Art Deco building in Mount Vernon - not far from the setting of Hot L Baltimore.
• Long gone: a building once known as the Ideal Theatre on Hampden's 36th Street, aka "The Avenue."
• Cafe Hon's pink flamingo (an homage to John Waters' film Pink Flamingos) attracts visitors to the Avenue.
• Old meets new: an Art Deco arch over the storefront of a Royal Farms convenience store on the Avenue.
• Cars parked outside "Painted Ladies" - rowhouses on "The Avenue."
• The Senator Theatre is a landmark in both Baltimore lore and Art Deco architecture.
• The Senator was host to premieres of films from Baltimore legends like Barry Levinson and John Waters.
• The Senator was at one point slated for demolition but a group of citizens rose up to save it.
• The Senator's exterior: Art Deco in every inch.
• A chandelier lights the way into the Senator.
• An antique clock in the Senator lobby, with newspapers underneath to protect the bas-relief.
• The upper balcony of the Senator boasts elaborate, swirly-patterned moldings.
• Swirls evoking sunbursts pattern the lobby floor.
• The Senator's dome, once a florid fresco, is undergoing restoration today.
• The timeless grandeur of the old gold Senator shows its fragility.
• The Senator features a "Baltimore Walk Of Fame" with names of celebrities from Muhammad Ali to Rita Moreno written in the cement.
• The B & O Railroad Building was once the headquarters of the Baltimore & Ohio line.
• The Hotel Monaco, built at the turn of the century, welcomes guests today with its red canopy.
• Art Deco signs featured bold lettering and vibrant colors.
• John Waters' cult film Hairspray became a major Broadway musical and launched the careers of Ricki Lake and others. Unfortunately, the movie's talented drag queen Divine passed away before the film's release.
• The Hotel Monaco as viewed from afar.
• An imposing Art Deco facade.

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