SA Series 4605 AV Ohio Adjutant General's Dept., Ohio Battle Flag Audiovisual Collection

              Series 4605 AV
Record Group
Ohio Battle Flags Audiovisual Collection
Page 1 of 19
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
State Archives Record Series
State Archives Series 4605 AV
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
Ohio Battle Flags Audiovisual Collection
OVERVIEW OF THE SERIES
Series Number: Series 4605 AV
Series Title: Ohio Battle Flags Audiovisual Collection
Creating Agency: Ohio Department of the Adjutant General
Dates: 1965-1970
Record Group Number:
Department/Division: Office of the Adjutant General
Media: Photographs, negatives, transparencies
Quantity: 3 c.f.
Location: 3/10/3/B-C
HISTORY OF THE OHIO BATTLE FLAG AUDIOVISUAL COLLECTION
The Ohio Battle Flag Collection is one of the largest collections of battle flags in the country.
The collection consists of 486 battle flags from Ohio troops involved in the Mexican War, Civil
War, Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. When Mexican and Civil War
soldiers mustered out of service, many regiments turned their flags over to the state of Ohio.
The battle flag collection increased as flags from the Spanish-American War, World War I and
World War II were deposited. The General Assembly authorized the purchase of glass cases to
display the battle flags in the Statehouse, but by the 1960s the flags were in poor condition.
In 1964, the Ohio National Guard Association began a project to restore the flags. The images
of the flags that compose State Archives Series 4605 were taken as part of this restoration
project. The photographs provide a documentary record of the condition of the flags prior to
receiving conservation treatment. Flags that were relatively complete were adhered to nylon
backing with polyvinyl alcohol to prevent further loss and allow them to be displayed.
Commercial artist Robert Needham painted illustrations depicting many of the Civil War battle
flags in their complete form.
In 1970, the Ohio National Guard gave the flags and audiovisual collection to the Ohio Historical
Society. Between 1999 and 2000, the Save the Flags Campaign provided funding to duplicate
the original 1964 photographs, negatives and slides. The Archives Library Museum Automation
(ALMA) project digitized the flag photographs and slides and created the Fight for the Colors
Comment [ECN1]: Page: 1
I’m not sure what this means. Can you
clarify and reword?