Happy Chesapeake Bay Appreciation Week!

Happy Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week! This week was established by the Chesapeake Bay Commission in 2016, and formally designates nine days each June to celebrate the history and natural beauty of the nation’s largest estuary. This year, Chesapeake Bay Appreciation Week is June 7 to 15, and focuses on the protectors and wonders of the bay.

Some Facts about the Chesapeake Bay:

• The formation of the Chesapeake Bay happened 35.5 million years ago when a meteor collided with Earth, forming a massive crater.
• The widest point of the Bay is near cape Charles, Virginia and is approximately 30 miles.
• Most of the water in the Bay, including the middle portion of the Bay and its tidal rivers, is brackish–a mixture of salty and fresh.
• It produces about 500 million pounds of seafood per year.
• More than 1,800 vessels have met their end in Bay waters, lying broken and battered on the Bay’s floor.

Here in the Still Picture Branch at the National Archives, we have many photographs within our holdings that show a variety of the natural resources, recreational activities, and preservation efforts that revolve around the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

(Left Image) Original Caption: A member of the crew takes a swim in Chesapeake Bay. Date: July 1973. (Local ID: 412-DA-6004, NAID: 548491) 

(Right Image) Original Caption: Nesting on top of a Chesapeake Bay channel marker. Date: July 1973. (Local ID: 412-DA-6014, NAID: 548501)

Of course, we can’t talk about the Chesapeake Bay without bringing up the Chesapeake Bay Bridge! The original 4-mile span opened in 1952, which at the time was the world’s longest over-water structure. A parallel span was added in 1973, allowing for greater access between the Western and Eastern shores of Maryland.

Interested in seeing more? Dive into the National Archives Catalog for more photographs related to the Bay! Make sure to check out other records that the Special Media Division holds, like cartographic records and motion pictures!

You can also find more of our past blogs related to the Chesapeake Bay for more content!

---

The photographs included in this post have no known copyright restrictions. If you have any questions about the images in this post or the holdings of the Still Picture Branch, please contact us at  stillpix@nara.gov.

PUBLICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FURNISHED BY THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES STILL PICTURE BRANCH-RRSS

Generally, copies of photographic records held by the National Archives may be published without special permission or additional fees. The National Archives does not grant exclusive or non-exclusive publication privileges. Copies of Federal records, as part of the public domain, are equally available to all. A small percentage of photographs in our holdings are or may be subject to copyright restrictions. The National Archives does not confirm the copyright status of photographs but will provide any information known about said status. It is the user’s responsibility to obtain all necessary clearances. Any use of these items is made at the researcher’s or purchaser’s own risk.

Proper credit lines are encouraged in the interest of good documentation. They also help inform the public about government photographic resources that are available.

*Because so many of our requests for information cite credits and captions that appear in published works, the inclusion of a photo number in hard copy and electronic publications is of great assistance to both us and the public.

Examples of preferred credit lines are as follows:

• National Archives photo no. 210-G-C241
• Credit National Archives (photo no. 83-G-41368)
• Courtesy National Archives, photo no. 83-G-41430
• National Archives (210-G-A14)

If using a large number of our images, the National Archives will appreciate receiving copies of publications that contain our photographs. Such copies can be sent to the Still Picture Branch or the Library, National Archives and Records Administration.