Credit: Library of Congress
Media type: decorative arts
Museum Number: LC-USZ62-23097
Annotation: This is a regimental flag depicting an African American soldier standing next to Columbia holding a flag. Painted flags were an important form of popular art in the 19th century, and were used both for ceremonial and decorative purposes. David Bustill Bowser (1820-1900), a poor African-American from Philadelphia, is best known for his paintings on flags of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). These flags present rich portraits of black soldiers in allegorical settings.
Year: 1865