Admin – Page 2 – Fort McHenry Pictures

February 15, 2017November 4, 2022

An Act of Defiance and Symbol of Perseverance

The Stars & Stripes fly over the Parade Ground

Once hoisted as an act of defiance and a symbol perseverance, the American Flag flew over Fort McHenry at the conclusion of the Battle of Baltimore.

At the base of the [newly donated replica] flag mast near the entrance to the Interior Parade Ground of Fort McHenry is a placard with the following description:

In Full Glory Reflected

9:00 a.m., September 1814

The bombardment has ended; the battle is over. As the rain clouds pass and the rays of the sun shine on the fort, the garrison, tired and relieved, stands upon the parade ground. All eyes stare at the large 30 x 42 foot American flag. Carefully kept dry throughout the stormy night, it is now hoisted as a special act of defiance and symbol of perseverance.

Seeing this flag from several miles away inspires Francis Scott Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner”.

“At this time the morning gun was fired, the flag hoisted, and Yankee Doodle played…
Private Isaac Munroe, Baltimore Fencibles, 1814.”

For this and other fine art photographs of Fort McHenry click Bill Swartwout Photography.

February 14, 2017November 4, 2022

Stars and Stripes Flying over Fort McHenry

Stars and Stripes as a National Icon

Inside the Vistor Center at Fort McHenry there are many displays with narrative about The Fort and our U.S. Flag. Here is one such description:

It reads: As American nationalism grew in the 1800s and early 1900s, so did the use of the flag as a national icon.

The Stars and Stripes had not been so widely used in the early years of the Republic, but its association with “The Star Spangled Banner” made it more popular. In 1848 the U.S. Army began carrying the flag into battle, and during the Civil War the Stars and Stripes was a highly visible symbol of the hope for a reunified nation.

In 1890s new patriotic organizations promoted flags for schools, the introduction of the Pledge of Allegiance and regulations against “misuse” of the flag. In their eyes the flag was a bulwark against threats to American identity from mass immigration and organized labor.

By the 1960s the American flag was seen by some to reflect a narrow and exclusive vision of American identity. In protest they burned or defaced flags, prompting Congress to criminalize such behavior in 1968. This legislation was repealed after the Supreme Court rules that flag burning was an expression of free speech. These struggles over the flag’s meaning are testaments to its enduring power as a national symbol.

For fine art photographs of Fort McHenry click HERE – BillSwartwoutPhotography.com.

February 14, 2017November 4, 2022

Orpheus Statue At Fort Mchenry

Orpheus – Hero of Music and Poetry at Fort McHenry

The descriptive placard provides a bit of the history of this Orpheus Statue. The old photograph depicts a Defenders’ Day celebration and is captioned: Defenders’ Day, 1928 – For many years the Orpheus statue has served as the centerpiece for the annual commemoration of the Battle of Baltimore.

The narrative reads: In 1916 the Fine Arts Commission sponsored a national competition for a statue to honor Francis Scott Key and the defenders who protected Baltimore during the War of 1812. It chose “Orpheus” bu Charles Niehaus.

America’s involvement in World War I delayed the completion of the statue. Dedicated on Flag Day, June 14, 1922 and originally placed in the middle of the entrance road, it was moved to its current location in 1962.

For fine art photographs of Fort McHenry click HERE.

February 12, 2017November 4, 2022

Storm Flag Flies Over Fort McHenry

Dramatic View: Fort McHenry Storm Flag

This “Storm Flag” is a replica of the original flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes and measures 17 ft. by 25 ft. This dramatic view is created by the strong, but nor overpowering, back-lighting by an afternoon sun. Bill (Bill Swartwout Photography @ USPictures.com) was actually standing in the enormous shadow of the flag when he captured this magnificent photograph. Click HERE for more details.

February 12, 2017November 4, 2022

Blizzard of 2016 Blankets Fort McHenry

Snowbound Panorama of Fort McHenry

Here is a seldom seen sight – actually a sight seen by only a few hundred people – one time. The blizzard of 2016 in Baltimore dropped 29.2 inches of snow, an all-time record, over the city just 48 hours before this photograph was captured. Bill, of Bill Swartwout Photography, shot this as he was departing on a Caribbean Cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line “Grandeur of the Seas” just before sunset on January 25, 2016. This amount of snow on Fort McHenry had never been seen before and, most likely, will never be seen again. This was, indeed, one of those “right place/right time” moments for a landscape/seascape photographer.

This photograph is offered in a panorama format. More details can be viewed by clicking HERE.