In 2020 and early 2021, the Peale participated in the Lexington Market Public History Initiative in an effort to collect stories and memories about the world-famous Lexington Market as the market itself prepared for a redesign and reopening. The initiative’s core partners were Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Lexington Market, Inc., Market Center Community Development Corporation, Seawall, and the Peale, and the work was partially enabled by a Pathways Grant from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. The Lexington Market Public History Initiative was financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s Thomas V. “Mike” Miller History Fund. This story was recorded by Adam Droneburg, Dan Goodrich, Nicole King and others of the Baltimore Sound Society for an earlier project.

Steve (00:00): Fresh ... fresh vegetables and also natural smoothies ... fruit smoothies, and also vegetables. My names a Steve, I own the Garden Produce. I been here total of eight years, with the Garden Produce about a year and seven month. But when I stepped in, my main focus was providing the freshest in the market. Freshest product that's available that day, which at [inaudible 00:00:27] step, that's what I did.

Steve: I'm not food person. I'm a construction guy. But somehow friend of mine thought I fit in better with the produce, which it worked out. No, I came here when I was 15 years old, it's been 43 years. Well, I tried to help people who needs help, especially people who has a problem with the language. Not because I'm smarter than they are, but I speak little bit more English than other people. So whoever needs ... whoever need a translation, I don't mind helping them out.

Steve: The environment is different every day. You don't know what type of customer that you're going to run into. Because of this is the one unique place where I don't think I ever been at any other market like this before, until I came here. But I truly enjoy being here and running into different people. This truly worked for me, I like what I'm doing.

Speaker 2 (01:27): Our next stop is the iconic Bergers Bakery. If you're facing garden produce with Mary Mervis behind you, Bergers is up the path ahead of you, just to the right of garden produce. Follow that path past several stands. And when you pass Pandora's box, take a left. Burgers Bakery will be on your right past a bank of tables.

Asset ID: 9160

Photo of Lexington Market, ca. 1903, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print