The Response

Accession Number P75-54-N6169, Hughes Company Glass Negatives,

Courtesy of the Photography Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Image Number Neg Z9.1865.PP30, Hughes Studio Photograph Collection,

Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Maryland Historical Society

United was forced to revamp their lines in order to stay in business. The automobile and the introduction of gas powered buses were a sign of the future, so the company had to modernize their cars to attract customers. United changed both the aesthetic and design of their cars. In the twenties, United converted their semi-convertible cars into articulated trains (bottom picture). United introduced the short Birney car (top picture) and had considerable success with the Peter Witt streetcars. United took a step further and created trackless trolleys which did not use tracks and ran on wires. As we can see in the pictures, Baltimore streets were becoming more updated to the times, and United made sure their cars could handle the changes.