Five Minutes of Baltimore History

Painted Screens

By Johns Hopkins,

Published February 10, 2026 at 12:02 PM EST

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An example of a painted screen in Baltimore featuring iconic images like the Baltimore Oriole bird and the Patterson Park Pagoda

Painted window screens are a unique folk art tradition in Baltimore, started in 1913 by a grocer to display produce without putting it outdoors. The painted screens offered privacy while allowing air and light through. Soon, painted screens could be found on private residences as well, particularly in East Baltimore.

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Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins has been the director of Baltimore Heritage since 2003, working to preserve historic places and revitalize historic neighborhood in Baltimore.

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Lisa Morgan

Lisa Morgan covered the local arts community as co-creator and host of WYPR’s award-winning program The Signal from 2004 to 2015. She has created and produced many programs for WYPR, including news stories, features, commentaries, and audio documentaries. She taught audio production at Goucher College and has done voice-over work for a variety of clients. The Weekly Reader is her latest project.

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