The faces of the peninsula
A photographic record of the watermen, farmers, and artisans whose lives are shaped by the tides and soil of Southern Maryland.
Sustained by silt and salt
These are the unposed records of hands that harvest the rivers and tend the fields, preserving traditions that define our peninsula's cultural fabric.
The Oyster Tonger
Working the shallow bars of the Potomac requires an unhurried rhythm. For four generations, the Knott family has harvested these waters, reading the river's floor by the resistance in their ash-wood tongs.
The Leaf Curer
Inside the high rafters of the air-cured barns, the scent of curing tobacco lingers like an old memory. Here, the harvest is hung by hand, relying on the dry autumn winds to cure the wide leaves.
Watermen of the Chesapeake
A dedicated study of the generational captains, crabbers, and oyster tongers who navigate the brackish tributaries of Southern Maryland.
Through documentary film photography and oral histories, this collection records a way of life defined by the seasonal rhythm of the estuary.
Contribute to the record
Do you have historical photographs or stories of Southern Maryland's communities? Help us preserve our living history.