Secretary of State Karen Handel today announced that images of the Georgia Capitol Museum’s Flag Collection are now available online. The Flag Collection images are the first Capitol Museum artifacts included on Georgia Archives Virtual Vault website.
“The flags remind us of the sacrifice that Georgians have made to preserve our rights and freedoms,” said Secretary Handel. “When you look at them, especially the ones damaged from actual battle use, it’s a clear reminder of the sacrifices Georgia veterans have given to our state and our country.”
The Georgia Capitol Museum’s Flag Collection began in 1905 when the then-U.S. Department of War returned twenty-six Civil War flags to Georgia. Governor Joseph Terrell allocated funds to preserve the flags. Since that time, the collection has grown to include 85 flags from every major military conflict of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The online collection includes flags carried into battle by Georgians from 1846 through Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Several of the flags are on display in the “Hall of Valor” on the first floor of the Capitol. Many of the historic flags can not be displayed publicly due to preservation requirements.
That is what makes the Virtual Vault such a tremendous resource, says Division of Archives and History Director David Carmicheal. “We can all enjoy Georgia’s historic artifacts now, even if the objects are too fragile to put on display.”
“The addition of these flags to the Virtual Vault is the first step in our plan to provide online access to the collections of the Capitol Museum,” said Carmicheal.
To view the flags, visit www.sos.ga.gov/Archives and click on the Virtual Vault link.
Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State’s office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
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