The late Dr. Elmer Martin and his wife Dr. Joanne Martin established The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum (GBIW) in 1983. Located at 1601-1603 E. North Avenue, the museum is committed solely to the study and preservation of African American history, and its presentation of life-size, life-like wax figures highlight historical and contemporary personalities of African ancestry.
The museum has drawn visitors from all over the globe with its immersive museum exhibits, which include “A Journey to Freedom,” whose wax figures include: Henry “Box” Brown, and W.E.B. DuBois; “The Underground Railroad,” featuring wax figures of Thomas Garrett and Harriet Tubman; and “The Slavery Era,” with its immersive “Middle Passage”; and “The Horror of Captivity.” GBIW is the first wax museum of African American history in the nation.
Throughout its storied history, the museum has never sugar-coated, or watered-down the injustices experienced by African Americans while simultaneously juxtaposing these stories with ones of triumph, achievement and success. For “40 Years and Counting: A Legacy of Telling the Story Uncompromisingly,” has been the GBIW’s mantra, and this will be the central theme of the museum’s 40-year anniversary celebration.
The 40th Anniversary Brunch will be held Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Residence Inn at Johns Hopkins, 800 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.
“We wanted to mark this milestone in our history, so we celebrated 20 years, and then 30 years, and now 40 years of our existence,” said museum co-founder Dr. Joanne Martin. “Our museum is forty years and counting, so that means that every year is a part of our journey.”
She added, “We will continue to celebrate and mark the journey that we’ve been on and the work that we have tried to do in preserving the history of people of African descent. A legacy of telling our stories uncompromisingly is very much a part of who we are.”
In addition to food and drinks, Dr. Martin said the brunch’s festivities will include music, spoken word artists, the presentation of awards to individuals who have supported GBIW throughout its history and the immeasurable contributions of her late husband Dr. Elmer Martin.
1601-1603 E. North Avenue
“The genius and creativity of Elmer will be on full display,” said Dr. Martin. “For me, that is an important part of this journey. I want people to see the way he used his artistry to create the museum and the stories we tell. So much of Dr. Elmer Martin represents who we are, and for me, it’s represented in every brick of the museum.”
A noted historian, educator, and researcher, Dr. Martin performs most of the museum’s curatorial duties and has laid the groundwork for both architectural and exhibition design for the expanded museum.
“The museum started as a traveling exhibit with four figures,” said Dr. Martin. “It eventually evolved into the museum. Early on, we had someone who wanted to take our idea and offered to build a museum and let us run it. But we told him that even though he had all the resources, he didn’t have the passion we had for telling our story. He agreed and essentially put us on what would be considered a layaway plan.”
She added, “We bought four wax figures, Mary McLeod Bethune, Frederick Douglass, Nat Turner and John Brown. Shortly thereafter, we bought Harriet Tubman and Booker T. Washington. And so that was our humble beginnings.”
Dr. Elmer Martin passed away in 2001, while the couple was in Egypt. However, Mrs. Martin has continued to carry on his legacy.
“We seek to be faithful to the truth,” said Dr. Martin. “We want to be able to tell our story in a way that people who don’t know the story can learn about it and not have to deal with myth and misrepresentation. That is a very important part of what we do more than anything else. We want young people to embrace our history to the point that they want to preserve it for their children, their children’s children, and other generations to come.”
GBIW expansion efforts include a multi-million-dollar facility, which is being described as the cornerstone of a vibrant revitalization initiative in the East Baltimore corridor. Efforts include 25,000 square feet of new construction.
In March, the museum was presented with a check from Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Chris Van Hollen for more than $2 million that was granted to the museum through the FY 23 federal Earmarks process.
“It’s such a blessing to have reached this milestone,” said Dr. Martin. “We are encouraging everyone to come out and celebrate 40 years of the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum.”
Tickets to GBIW’s 40th Anniversary Brunch are $125. For tickets and more information, visit