About Flags 

Throughout history, flags have conveyed a variety

of meanings - as symbols of national identity, as signals to others, or to mark specific places or events. "Flags can inspire patriotism and pride, but they can also stir hostility. Their meanings can change over time," explains Charleston Museum Director Carl Borick.

National flags became commonplace in the 18th century, evolving into important symbols of group identity. Some flag symbols cross national lines, such as Red Cross flags or international sea warnings. Others convey negative connotations, such as those with the feared pirate skull and crossbones in the 18th century or the Nazi banners and flags with the swastika of the 1930s and 1940s.

Unfurled Highlights

"Civil War flags feature prominently in the collections," says Curator of Textiles Jan Hiester. "They are a potent reminder of some of this country's darkest days." Other flags were carried by American soldiers during later wars - the Spanish-American War and World Wars I & II. Some reflect the unity and identification of civilian organizations, such as local fire companies or the Boy Scouts.

Liberty Treading on Tyranny needlework, c. 1818 (pictured left). Eloise Burgess Waties of Stateburg, South Carolina stitched this embroidered and painted silk picture, based on an engraving by Edward Savage - Liberty in the Form of the Goddess of Youth Giving Support to the Bald Eagle, first published in Philadelphia on June 11, 1796.

Brooks Artillery banner, 1861-1865 (pictured right). This banner was used by Colonel Alfred Rhett's unit organized on the eve of the Civil War as the 1st Brigade, South Carolina Artillery. Given to them by "patriotic ladies of Charleston," the flag has the names of the battles in which the unit fought stitched into its field.

Printed handkerchief, mid-19th century (pictured second from the top). This large silk piece features 108 flag images, probably those flown by ships as signals for pilots. It closely resembles period charts which helped mariners  identify the nationality of ships at sea. 

Carolina Rifle Club banner, 1869 (pictured left). A palmetto tree with crossed rifles is embroidered on brown silk, along with the motto Patrie Infelici Fidelis ("faithful to my unhappy country") and 1869, the founding year of the club. The motto was symbolic of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period when Southern whites, unhappy with the new order, formed rifle clubs, ostensibly for social intercourse and amusement, but primarily to oppose Reconstruction governments across the South.

Forty-eight star American flag, World War I (pictured top). During World War I, this flag hung over the front door at 37 Legare Street, the John Bennett residence (Charleston Renaissance author of Master Skylark and The Treasure of Peyre Gaillard) The binding is stamped Jane, for their daughter, who was a teenager at the time. Her father told her that this was the first time an American flag was displayed at a Charleston house since the Civil War.

Souvenir panel, World War I (pictured below). Many soldiers brought or sent home mementos from their service abroad. At the center of this piece is an elaborately embroidered silk handkerchief, depicting flags from Allied nations.

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Charleston, SC 29403
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