History Lessons

To play or not to play National Anthem

Just before America’s entry into World War II in 1941, the New York Philharmonic found itself in a dispute over the placing of two American flags on its stage and the playing of the National Anthem before every concert. It was up to Arthur Judson, manager of the orchestra, to answer pro and con letters…. continue

History Lessons

University flag design evolved over time

This year marks several important 150th anniversaries (called sesquicentennials), including the end of the Civil War, the death of Abraham Lincoln and the birth of many U.S. colleges. All of them involved flags: regimental banners in the first instance, an American flag in the second, and official designs for school banners and pennants in the… continue

History Lessons

Hearst Castle is aflutter with flags

Tourists who make the long bus journey up a mountain near the Pacific Ocean in San Simeon, California, expect to see marvelous sights when they reach the Hearst Castle at the peak. Among those sights, they will be wowed by a room full of flags. Not new American flags, but ancient flags from Siena, a… continue

History Lessons

POWs bravely waved American flags in prison

The 100th anniversary of World War I is being observed in Europe, as is the 75th anniversary of the first full year of the Second World War. For Americans, 2015 brings the bicentennial of the end of the War of 1812, a good time to recall how U.S. prisoners proudly waved American flags in a… continue

History Lessons

George Washington and flag vexations

George Washington, it is said, never told a lie. But some fibs have been told about him, and one of them might involve an early American flag that was hoisted – or was it? – 239 years ago on the first day of the year. On January 1, 1776, Washington lifted a flag at his… continue