H. Graham Wood was born in 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland. While young, he established a strong interest in Chesapeake Bay steamboats, thanks to accompanying his father on numerous business trips. According to William H. Ewen’s biographical account of Wood, it is believed that Wood traveled on every steamer running during his life as well as visiting every active port and landing. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University and earned a degree from the University of Maryland Law School. World War II found him serving as a Major in the Army’s Counterintelligence Corps. After the war, Wood was employed by what is now known as the First National Bank of Maryland (then the First National Bank of Baltimore). In 1949 he became head of the Trust Division and held that position until he retired in 1975.
Wood joined the SSHSA in 1942 and eventually became a life member. He was on the Board of Directors for 20 years, from 1950-1970, and served as Treasurer from 1950-1991. He is most recognized for his book "Steamboats Out of Baltimore" written along with Robert H. Burgess from the Mariners Museum (also a member of the SSHSA). H. Graham Wood passed away in 1998. As Ewen stated in Wood’s obituary, his service to the SSHSA was important in the development and prosperity of the Society. In 2000, the first H. Graham Wood award was given in recognition of distinguished service to SSHSA.
This collection is available to the public by appointment at the Steamship Historical Society. Objects that are fragile, significant, or require additional tools to access may require archivist assistance.
Use, reproduction, and/or publication of archival material is prohibited without prior approval of the Steamship Historical Society. Fees and/or restrictions may apply. Please contact the SSHSA archivist, Astrid Drew, at adrew@sshsa.org for more information.
H. Graham Wood Collection, 1998.03, Steamship Historical Society of America Archives, www.sshsa.org.
The H. Graham Wood Collection comprises ephemera, objects, photos, and film from Wood's estate. The collection is centered on steamboats of Chesapeake Bay, Wood's lifelong home. Notable items from the collection include 8mm footage of the CITY OF BALTIMORE's last trip in 1962, scrapbooks containing photos of Chesapeake Bay steamboats, notes for Wood’s book "Steamboats Out of Baltimore," slides used in Wood's lectures, and ephemera from companies such as the Old Bay Line, Merchants and Miners, Baltimore Steam Packet Co., and more.
The material in this collection is arranged by format within one box. Books in the collection have been separated and shelved in the SSHSA library.
The Steamship Historical Society of America was bequeathed the items in this collection in Wood's will and received them upon his death in 1998. Some miscellaneous items were also donated by Wood prior to his death. The collection was retroactively accessioned by Tessa Mediano in March 2023 with an accession number of 1998.03.
H. Graham Wood Photograph Collection and the H. Graham Wood Manuscript Collection, H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository, Maryland Center for History and Culture