American Flags: Designs for a Young Nation [Hardcover]

Nancy Druckman (Author), Jeffrey Kenneth Kohn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

The American flags of our forefathers were often beautifully handmade objects that lovingly expressed in both craft and design the patriotic sentiments of their makers. American Flags presents 70 shining examples of these masterpieces of popular art, with a short, readable essay that gives the history of the flag from the nation's founding up until 1912, when United States law finally decreed that the design of the flag must be uniform across the land.

Today, the audience for historic flags is booming. Museum exhibitions of flags have proven to be far more popular than even their organizers expected, and prices for historic flags have been rising rapidly. The flags presented here are arranged chronologically, showing how individual flag makers redesigned the flag for different occasions, such as the admission of new states to the Union. Selected for their historic significance and their craft and workmanship, these rare survivors bear the marks of time and events.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-The more than 60 flags that fill these pages include many variations and interpretations of the Stars and Stripes. Standardization did not occur until 1912, when President Taft signed an executive order. Until then, Americans designed and stitched their own banners to carry in parades or use for campaigning, and to celebrate statehood and other historical moments. The early flags depicted here are unique pieces of American folk art. The book reflects this artistic quality in the simplicity of the illustrations. The white backgrounds are an effective canvas for the color photographs, with only one or two flags and an explanatory paragraph per page. The arrangement is chronological with introductory information about each time period. Theseremarks are in large white type on a red background, giving the effect of the flag's stripes. In contrast, the captions are printed in a small font. Although the photographs are beautiful and the facts are interesting, this is not a traditional reference book. There is neither a table of contents nor an index, and specific information cannot be located quickly. Thus, the book is best for browsing. It's a beautiful way to show the colors.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center ofthe Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-12. Here's a handsome, well-designed guide to American flag history, illustrated with many excellent photos of flags from different periods. A few pages of solid text offer a general overview and discuss a few specific topics, such as Confederate flags, but most of the book is given over to photos of dozens of flags accompanied by lengthy captions. Druckman explains that the law first creating the American flag did not specify details such as "size, proportion, length, shape, and arrangement of stars," a fact that accounts for the surprising array of designs on display here. The examples begin with a Continental flag from the Revolutionary War and end with the 48-star flag of 1912, when the design was finally standardized. The book is accessible and useful to history students; flag collectors and illustrators will also find it quite informative. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810945061
• ISBN-13: 978-0810945067
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,366,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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