Keith Lewis Photography: She's a Grand Old Flag

June 14th is flag day. It is celebrated in this country every June 14.

Here's a little history of Flag Day:

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress proposed that the United States have a national flag instead of the British Union Jack. The 13 stars of the flag represented the 13 new states. There weren't many public ceremonies honoring the Stars and Stripes until 1877, when on, June 14, it was flown from every government building in honor of the centennial of the adoption of a national flag. It wasn't "official" until 1949 when President Harry Truman designated June 14th as Flag day.

For all the controversy, it is interesting to point out that the United States did not even have a standardized flag until 1912. Called the "Stars and Stripes," or "Old Glory," the flag is one of the most complicated in the world. No other flag needs 64 pieces of fabric to make. The current flag has 13 red and white alternating stripes (representing the original 13 states) and 50 stars (each star represents one of the states of the Union) on a blue background.

In honor of our country's symbol, recognized around the world, here are a few pictures of flags that I took.

click on an picture for a larger image: