John Benson (American, B. 1949) "U.S. Flag with Fireworks" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. For more than 200 years, the star-spangled banner has stood as an enduring symbol of America's hard-won freedom. It represents the people, land and ideals of the United States of America. The flag especially reflects this nation's firm belief in liberty, and no other emblem in this country is as recognized or honored. The United States was the first country to have both a Flag Day and a Pledge of Allegiance. Old Glory has also been immortalized in song and art. The Stars and Stripes inspired our national anthem in September 1814 when Francis Scott Key saw its shredded remnants flying over the fire and rubble at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Although legend often credits the widowed seamstress, Betsy Ross, with designing the first American flag, there is some evidence that suggests Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, may have been its actual creator. Regardless of its origin, it is certain that the American flag started out with 13 stars and 13 stripes, but a quick examination of flags from the Revolutionary War era demonstrates that the new country was not too concerned with standardized flag patterns. There continued to be numerous variations throughout the next 100 years, and it wasn't until flags began to be mass-produced at the end of the 19th century that uniformity was established. Image Size: 13 x 18 in. Overall Size: 18.75 x 24.25 in. Unframed. (B11305)