Hammett sites in Baltimore -- what am I missing?
Some time within the next week, I'm hoping to jog or bike through a bunch of Dashiell Hammett-related places around the city, since the anniversary of the famous mystery writer's death is coming up. I'll write about the results in detail, but for now, I figured it was a good idea to solicit additions. Here's a draft of my list as it stands now:
- Baltimore Polytechnic, where Hammett studied for a semester before dropping out
- Edmondson Avenue/Harlem Park, where a dream sequence began in Red Harvest
- One South Calvert Street, formerly home of Pinkerton's Detective Agency, where Hammett worked
- Former B&O Railroad headquarters on Charles Street. (The railroad was one of Hammett's non-Pinkerton employers in Baltimore)
- Mount Royal Station, through which a missing character's baggage was tracked in The Girl with the Silver Eyes
- Union Station (now Penn Station), where one of the main characters in The Assistant Murderer bought a one-way ticket to Pennsylvania. (The whole story took place in Baltimore, so this is a slightly random sample)
I know this can't possibly be exhaustive -- it would simply be too long -- but I'm interested in any suggested additions. What key sites am I leaving out?
UPDATE: The full Dashiell Hammett map/post is now up.
Comments
The most important thing to do when standing on the sidewalk in front of One Calvert Plaza is to...look up.
On the Baltimore Street side of the building are two large ornamental eagles or perhaps falcons. Many believe that those birds inspired Hammett's famous "black bird" of The Maltese Falcon.
http://www.btco.net/ghosts/Buildings/Falcon/falconsmalla.jpg
Thanks, Brian! -P
Posted by: Brian Lindenmuth | January 6, 2011 3:23 PM
On a visit to Baltimore 2 years ago I did a driving tour of these and other Hammett-related sites. Of much help was the info at the Baltimore Literary Heritage Project:
http://baltimoreauthors.ubalt.edu/writers/dashiellhammett.htm
Definitely jog/bike down the streets where Hammett lived. Although the actual bldgs no longer stand, many similar rowhouses still do.
Personal highlight was a brief visit inside the Enoch Pratt Free Library/Hollins Street Branch, "where Hammett vowed to read every book."
Thanks for the great link, Elisabeth. I can't promise that I'll work everything on that list into the run (since I'm still getting back into shape), but I'll definitely integrate some of the sites. -P
Posted by: Elisabeth Johnson | January 7, 2011 1:07 AM