Amy Rosenkrans and I stood outside of the Woman’s Industrial Exchange building at 333 North Charles, looking at the artwork in the window. In 2020, the iconic but neglected 200-year-old building had been given to the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center. The inside was now filled with stories of Maryland suffragists, scientists, and leaders. The window showcased the wooden artworks of Paula Darby, the latest artist in a rotation of women artists put on display facing the hustle and bustle of Charles Street.
Layne Bosserman opened the front door towards us and announced “I found something.”
Although I was theoretically making my way out of the building, I couldn’t resist ducking back in to see Bosserman splaying several manila folders onto a table. Inside the first was a document thanking Julia Roberts for dining at the Exchange. There were several papers regarding charity events, an old photograph of the building, and a typewritten list of the Board of Directors. Most excitingly for my purposes were several menus. A luncheon featuring the Woman’s Exchange Tea Room’s famous tomato aspic and chicken salad platter, hot rolls, lemon tarts, and pumpkin pie. Some breakfast specials: eggs and bacon, homemade biscuits, assorted juices, “petite pancakes,” coffee cake, and peach upside-down cake. Most items could be had for under a dollar.
