Ross J. Kelbaugh

I am a Photography Historian and information professional with over four decades of experience in the field, including positions as director, guest curator, educator, researcher and communications manager. I guest curated "The Civil War in Maryland: An Exhibit of Rare Photographs" in 2006 and "Securing the Shadows: The Daguerreotype in Maryland" in 2012 at the Maryland Historical Society (now the Maryland Center for History and Culture). My 2022 exhibit "African American Faces of the Civil War" featuring selections from my collection was at the Manassas National Battlefield Park in celebration of Juneteenth. My collection of early African American photographs was also used for the recent PBS special "Making Black America: Through the Grapevine" with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

I have appeared and served for twelve years as an on-air appraiser for Maryland Public Television's "Chesapeake Collectibles" since 2009 and returned again this year for the October taping of season 13 that will begin airing in June 2026. I enjoy working closely with institutions, designers, artists, educators and other professionals to help them tell their stories and make sense of complex data so that they can better connect with their audiences. With specializations in digital collections, print studies and archives, I have also written numerous books and related articles and edited for several non-profit and public libraries as well as produce online programing.

Over fifty years I have handpicked thousands of rare photographs for my collections that document the America Experience from the beginning of the medium until the 1950s with a particular focus on Maryland and African American history. My historic African American photographs are now part of the Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washngton, D.C. through the generous support of the Ford Foundation. This collection will be featured in a major exhibit "Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography" at the National Gallery opening in October 2026 as part of the 250th U.S. Independence celebration. I also made major donations in 2023 and 2025 of important 19th century American photography to the Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection at the National Gallery of Art. Images from my photography collection will also be featured in a 2026 exhibit "Baltimore: Photography and the Great American City" at the Baltimore Museum of Art opening in October 2026 and the Nelson-Atkins Museum exhibit "Photography and Abolition in the Age of Pictures" in May 2027.