The Baltimore Museum of Industry, located under an historic crane on Key Highway, has initiated a buy-a-brick campaign that will raise funds for the Museum and lead to the completion of the harbor promenade.

    The fundraising program, which is being conducted with the Baltimore Harbor Endowment, allows patrons to have their name engraved on a brick on the outside promenade and terrace at the waterfront facility. For $75, patrons can have their individual or family names engraved on a 4" by 8" brick; for $250, they can have as much as 8 lines of text engraved on an 8" by 8" brick. Larger centerstones may be purchased by big contributors.

    The proceeds of sales will go profit corporation that has run successful buy-a-brick programs in Fell's Point and Canton. The Harbor Endowment's ultimate, goal is to create a paved, brick promenade from Canton to Locust Point.

    The Museum of Industry, which had modest beginnings 15 years ago, has blossomed into one of Baltimore's most popular attractions, particularly for younger visitors. Housed in the former Platt Cannery, circa 1864, the Museum has assembled a broad collection of artifacts from Baltimore's Industrial history, including a vintage drugstore that celebrates the city's leading role in the pharmaceutical industry, a print shop, a garment center that recalls the days when Baltimore was a major clothing manufacturing center, a food and agricultural exhibit that is under development, and a radio and broadcast exhibit.

    Although the Museum's most dramatic displays are relics from heavy industry - a vintage steamroller and prototype Martin Marietta seaplane, for example - its most noteworthy features are devoted to hands-on participation by children.

    One exhibit, called the Children's Cannery, engages its young participants in role playing exercises. When the children enter the facility, they are given laminated cards that provide them with the identity of a worker in an old factory. For part of the exercise, they are managers - dressed in vintage clothing that includes top hats and vests. For another part of the exercise, they dress as workers and they are supervised by their fellow participants.

    During the course of their tour of duty in the cannery, the children actually shuck synthetic clay oysters (using dull and harmless knives), manufacture cans from flat cardboard, which they print on a three color printing press, bend on vintage machinery, and connect at a seam with an adhesive called "Elmer's solder."

    At the conclusion of the workday, the kids are paid in artificial money, which they may redeem at the simulated company store. In a lesson on the rigors of industrial life, however, they first must "settle up" with the company by paying their rent and repaying loans. When they finish paying their debts, they have only enough money to buy one of the cardboard cans that they made during their visit.

    The Museum has an active fundraising and development office, which has had considerable success in raising the support of major industry. But it depends on public participation and support, and it is aggressively promoting its buy-a-brick campaign as a way for smaller donors to show support for the Museum's continued growth.

    The Industry Terrace and Promenade is being promoted as a "front porch" for the Museum and its surrounding South Baltimore neighborhoods.