As a young girl, I always enjoyed it when it got close to the end of the school year and near the start of summer. It usually meant there would be a school field trip day in our future. Our teacher would plan out fun filled activities, like a scavenger hunt, for me and my classmates at a local museum or nearby historic site. It may have fueled my love for history and learning.
As an adult, those trips are now nostalgic memories but this June, I ended up spending several joyful afternoons at The New York Historical on the Upper West Side in New York City. The New York Historical is New York’s first museum. It describes itself as, “a museum of museums and a collection of collections.”
Upon arriving at the museum, guests receive a welcome from abolitionist leader, orator and writer Frederick Douglass at the 77th Street entrance or a welcome from President Abraham Lincoln at the Central Park West entrance.
When I grew up I wanted to be an archaeologist. Exploring the museum’s multiple floors and wings that are filled with artifacts of all shapes and sizes from across the centuries allowed me to channel my inner Indiana Jones.
Over the course of this summer, I have been reflecting on America’s 250th Anniversary and what it means to live in a democracy and be a citizen in our country during these turbulent times. While moving through I began to observe where there were American flags.
Here is my Class of 2026 superlatives list for American flags found at the museum. Most craftmanship went to a flag in the House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans 1880-Now exhibition. It is an American flag weaved by a Diné artist in the late 19th century. The greatest number of flags found were in the Meet the President’s Oval Office exhibition. The largest flag hanging around was the 34-Star United States flag from 1861 displayed in the Democracy Matters exhibition.
I didn’t happen to observe any American flags in the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps exhibition but it you are interested in colorful dragon flies I highly recommend a visit to the 2nd floor of the museum.
I hope you will have a chance to explore, experience and make your own observations at The New York Historical in New York City or at your local historical society museum soon!
Tracey Lewis, 2026