The National Constitution Center

Title: Flags of the United States of America
Year: 2003
Material: Metal, fabric, wire (for hanging flags), stone
Creator: Unknown
Collection: Lobby

Creating a half-circle above the second floor of the main lobby to the National Constitution Center is a long row of flags. These flags are those of the United States' fifty states, as well as the unincorporated territories. The individual flags are important to those people who have a special tie to that state or territory, and the collection as a whole is important to anyone who is a citizen of the United States, or perhaps not but wishes to understand more about the country. The flags are on display to not only recognize the individual regions of the country, but to show the order in which the states and territories became a part of the United States.

I am unsure of how the individual flags were acquired, but I would venture to guess they were either donated by members of the individual states, or purchased directly by the center. The flags are hung from wire attached to a metal mount that encircles the center edge of the second floor of the lobby. Below each of these flags is an engraved block of stone laid into the floor with the name of the state or territory the flag represents, and the date it became a part of the United States (the first thirteen are in order of ratification of the Constitution). What I found most interesting was the fact the mount for the flags extended past the last territory  perhaps on purpose to leave room in case more are acquired. The point of view of these labels are objective-- there is no additional information given as to the history of each state, and so there is nothing written that might effect how the objects were interpreted.

There are no other objects around the flags that might contribute to an understanding of the exhibit. There is however a life-sized board game, and perhaps there are questions in the game we did not come across that are relevant to the flags. The significance of the flags might be better understood following research into the history of the growth of the United States, and after studying the laws that determine statehood versus being an unincorporated territory. Someone not from the United States that does not understand the significance of individual states might not be interested in the flags. As there is no point of view involved with the interpretation of the object, it would be hard for a different narrative to be told about it. The only opposing point of view I might expect to hear would be a complaint by someone that the territories are included in the series despite them not being a state.

Viewers might become more engaged with the display if there was an interpretation perhaps along the wall of the second floor walkway describing a brief history of the state and its acquisition by the United States. This could also be achieved with brief discussions given by an interpreter.