© 2024 WYPR
WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore WYPF 88.1 FM Frederick WYPO 106.9 FM Ocean City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Painted Screens Of Baltimore

Jake Slagle
/
Flickr

Beaming lighthouses, seascapes with crashing waves, cottages under puffy clouds. It was common in the 1950s for windows in East Baltimore rowhomes to be adorned with painted screens. Now it’s a rare treat.

Painted screens grew popular for a practical reason: They block the interior of your home from prying eyes.

Folklorist Elaine Eff tells about the origin of this artform, and Highlandtown Gallery owner Felicia Zannino-Baker talks about preserving and promoting painted screens today.

Find out about toursat Highlandtown Gallery, and other screen-related events. Learn about the Painted Screen Society here

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.