
A Baltimore salt box is an example of a
grit bin as used in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
,
Maryland. They are wooden boxes with hinged covers and are annually distributed around as a supplement to the city's snow removal and road salting operations. They are a service of Baltimore's Department of Transportation, which distributes the boxes around the city in the late fall (no precise date is given) in anticipation of winter weather. The boxes are filled with a mixture of
road salt and sand for citizens to spread as needed to assist with traction and to prevent or melt icy patches on city streets.
The box is painted
safety yellow for high visibility, and marked "salt box" on the front panel in characteristic stenciled black capital letters. They are typically are removed in the springtime, for refurbishment and redistribution the next season.
History
Not much is known about when the publicly supported salt box became a regular practice in the city. According to historians at the Baltimore Historical Society, the first reference to the ubiquitous salt box in the
Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
archives is from 1969. Neighboring counties with their own methods of distribution, variously described as barrels, bins and boxes, appear to have ended the practice in 2004, to the dismay of the county residents.
Other uses
Besides the practical use, the humble salt box has its fans for many reasons, as demonstrated by an eponymous social media presence on Instagram established in 2018. In 2020, awareness of the salt boxes was greatly increased when a local artist noticed that salt boxes remained unseasonably present, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic They decided to spruce up a local box by adding decorative elements, thus creating
street art
Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art.
Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant graff ...
.
Civic Engagement
The artist alerted the city's Department of Transportation, which responded favorably and "approved of the modification",
encouraging further citizen artist engagement and coining the trend of salt box ar
The artist posted guidelines for acceptable alterations to city property to their website, and the community produced many more in a spontaneous
public art response. The salt box social media account launched
Google Map of Baltimore Salt Boxes including categories for both unaltered salt boxes and art boxes, gathering contributions via
crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digita ...
. With growing attention by local media, the salt box story quickly became a
viral phenomenon over the winter of 2021 gaining nationwide and international notice. Aside from popular media, local politicians have taken note of the artist's project, with salutary remarks from the state's city Senators, and one contributed by a Councilman.
In a nod to the plural use of the salt box for public safety, one box quotes
Mayor Brandon Scott's own viral social media moment, reminding citizens to wear their face masks properly with the saying "Shorty, pull ya mask up".
Public Art
In accordance with the guideline expressed by the Department of Transportation, "as long as they have a salt theme or highlight something special in the surrounding neighborhood", salt box art themes include visual and word based puns on the theme of salt and spices, ice and snow, portraits, and tributes to local
Baltimore culture. Well-known
Baltimoreans
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...
with salt box homages include
Billie Holiday,
Cab Calloway
Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...
,
Divine,
Tupac Shakur,
Tori Amos,
John Waters, as well as the
Baltimore Black Sox, and
Natty Boh among other cultural touchstones. Since permanence nor return of the original art is guaranteed, the main collaborators behind the art salt box phenomenon have put forward a plan with the Department of Transportation for citizens to choose to remove their art for safekeeping and reuse the following season, or to adopt a box for long term maintenance.
Derivatives
Replicas of the salt box are available from the salt box artist in 3D printe
plastic and another artist's version is available in reclaimed wood, with an accompanying
zine and customizable labels, and a piggy ban
For charitable fundraising purposes, a designed image of the salt box is available on printed clothing and stickers, in support of the Maryland based
Moveable Feast (organization)
Moveable Feast is a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, which provides food and services to individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and those afflicted with terminal illness. Its founder Baltimore City Health Departme ...
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A free
Coloring book, coloring sheet was made for use by school-aged children, for submission in a contest for a winning design to be produced by the Department of Transportation as a special edition salt box in Fall 202
References
{{Reflist
External links
* https://www.instagram.com/baltimore.saltbox/
* https://ibreakplates.com/pages/salt-box
* https://baltimoresaltbox.com/
Transportation in Baltimore
Culture of Baltimore
Snow removal
Public art
Street art
Street furniture