Homewood After Dark: The 19th Century Lighting Revolution

On February 7, 1817, Baltimore became the first city in the United States to have an outdoor gas street light, cementing its place in the revolution of lighting that takes place over the course of the 19th century. Using examples from Homewood’s collection, JHU Museums Curator of Collections Michelle Fitzgerald will demonstrate the evolution of 19th-century domestic lighting—from candlelight to oil and gas lamps—exploring how these technological developments changed how daily life was experienced.

ABOUT Michelle Fitzgerald
Curator of Collections, Johns Hopkins University Museums

Michelle Fitzgerald is the Curator of Collections at the Johns Hopkins University Museums. With an interest in Chesapeake furniture in the 18th and 19th centuries, she has previously held positions at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Maryland Center for History and Culture, and the Maryland State Archives. She received her MA from the University of Delaware’s Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and is published in the University of Chicago Press’ Winterthur Portfolio and AASLH’s History News magazine.

Event Date
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Start Time: 6:30pm EDT
End Time: 7:30pm EDT

Location
Homewood Museum

3400 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21218

Contact
Homewood Museum
Jeannette Marxen
Programs Manager
410-516-5589
museums@jhu.edu

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Homewood After Dark: The 19th Century Lighting Revolution

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