The Star-Spangled Banner, 1873

The original Star-Spangled Banner, shown here in a photograph dated 1873, that flew over Fort McHenry during the British attack is now the most important artifact of the American War of 1812. On permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, it serves as a symbol of American patriotism, American valour, and American victory.

American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts