Joseph L. Russ was a West Baltimore mortician whose business primarily served the African American community for nearly 70 years. Born in Baltimore and raised on Brunt Street, he was a 1933 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School. In 1941 he married Emma Lucille White. That year, they established a funeral business at Dolphin and McCulloh streets. They soon hired three employees and rented hearses and limousines as needed. Mr. Russ and his wife bought a rowhouse at 2222 W. North Ave. in the 1950s. They lived upstairs and established their funeral home on the first floor.

This collection is unprocessed and closed to the public.

68 boxes and some unboxed registers. Most boxes are non-standard sized and house 1 3/4 cubic feet of material so they are HEAVY. The earliest records (a bound register) date to 1963. Many are more recent, 1990 through 2000s Collection located at 33/17/8 through 14; 33/18/8 through 14; 33/19/8 through 10; 32/15/10 through 11. All registers located at 32/16/14.