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American Legion. Designs Submitted by School Children for Alaska’s Flag, 1927

 Collection
Identifier: MS 14-1

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of 131 entries, color slides of 36 entries created in 2002 for the Museum exhibit, and a photograph of Benny Benson’s winning entry. The entries at one time numbered 142. Of those, 11 are noted as missing and one of those was probably Benny Benson’s winning design, now housed separately in the Alaska State Museum. The collection is arranged by number of entry, presumably assigned by the American Legion judges.

The inventory lists the location, the physical measurement of each entry, the student’s name and town and whether a slide of the entry is in the collection. The slides are housed in Box 1.

Dates

  • 1927

EAD

MS0014-01

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is available for viewing, but photocopies are not allowed.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. Photocopying does not constitute permission to publish.

HISTORICAL NOTE

At the request of Governor George A. Parks, the Alaska Chapter of the American Legion conducted a contest among the Territory’s school children to choose Alaska’s Flag Design. Benny Benson, a thirteen-year-old who lived in the Jesse Lee Home in Seward, submitted the winning design of the constellation Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper, set against a field of blue. The design was adopted by the Alaska Territorial Legislature in 1927.

In 2002, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its adoption, the contest entries and Benny’s winning design (now separated from the Library’s collection and housed in the Alaska State Museum) were featured in the Museum’s exhibit: Eight Stars of Gold: the Story of Alaska’s Flag. The exhibit catalog of the same name by guest curator, India M. Spartz, details Benny Benson’s life, the Jesse Lee Home, the American Legion contest, the origin of the state song, and its relevance to Alaska’s search for statehood.

Extent

10 boxes : 131 drawings ; 36 color slides ; 1 photograph

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Alaska Territorial Historical Library and Museum received this collection after the contest in 1927.

Existence and Location of Originals

The original winning entry by Benny Benson is located in the Alaska State Museum.

Existence and Location of Copies

Some entries have been digitized and are available to view via Alaska's Digital Archives.

Processing Information

In 2001, the drawings were re-matted and re-housed under the direction of Alaska State Museum conservator Scott Carroll. Tape that had covered the contest entrants’ name on the verso of the drawing was removed. An inventory of entrants’ names was then compiled.

Title
Finding Aid for the American Legion. Designs Submitted by School Children for Alaska’s Flag, 1927
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by: Kay Shelton, Feb. 2002; Revised by: Jacki Swearingen, Sept. 2014; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Jacki Swearingen, June 2019 ; Inventory Added to ArchivesSpace by: Connie Hamann
Date
2024 November
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Finding Aids Repository

Contact:
PO Box 110571
Juneau AK 99811-0571 US
907-465-2920
907-465-2925
907-465-2151 (Fax)