“Step into History” at the Village in Rock Hall – See the Whale at Tolchester

The Maryland Center for History and Culture invites Marylanders to “Step into History” with interactive displays that are traveling across the state. One of these displays is at the Village in Rock Hall.

The larger-than-life-size frame, Go see the whale at Tolchester, lithograph by R.H. Eichner & Co, allow visitors to step (literally) into history and engage with the past through a historic image from MCHC’s museum and library collections.

“As the state’s largest museum and library of Maryland history, it is our mission to find creative ways to share and engage people statewide with the unique items in our collection,” said Mark Letzer, President & CEO of the Maryland Center for History and Culture. “Maryland’s parks and community gathering spaces are unique partners in this effort. As people have increasingly turned to Maryland’s outdoor landscape for safe recreational activities, we are pleased to connect their surroundings with stories from the past.”

Step into History at the Village in Rock Hall, Maryland
21275 Rock Hall Avenue, Rock Hall, MD
Go see the whale at Tolchester, lithograph by R.H. Eichner & Co.
This poster advertises a unique beachside attraction: an opportunity to go inside a whale’s mouth! According to an article in the May 30, 1899 issue of the Baltimore American newspaper, a 75-ton (species unspecified) whale was captured off the coast of Cape Cod on June 5, 1888. The Egyptian Balm Company in Boston embalmed the beast for a not-so-small sum of $3,000. When the process was complete, the whale was set to be the star attraction during the opening week of a new season at the Tolchester Beach resort on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Unfortunately, no evidence exists to prove that the whale ever actually arrived at Tolchester or was used as advertised in the poster, but the intent and vision of the event planners is preserved. Visitors are encouraged to think about their own beach vacations and think critically about the reality of this advertisement.

The Step into History display is scheduled to remain on view through November 2021.