This module examines the flags appearing in the imagery of the Souvenir of Egypt, a decorative silk that is part of the Travelers in the Middle East Archive. Here, we will search for the identity of each flag using a variety of library and online resources, demonstrating how to identify sometimes obscure images. This module is part 3 of a 6-part course on the Souvenir of Egypt.
The flags of the souvenir of egypt
Flags are historically rich artifacts because they usually signify a
specific location in space and time in which they were in use. The
Souvenir of Egypt, a textile of uncertain
origins that is part of the
Travelers in the Middle East Archive , includes rich
visual imagery, including seven unidentified flags.
Souvenir of Egypt By determining their periods of
use, we can narrow down the period in which the Souvenir of Egypt might have beenproduced and thus make a more informed argument about the silk's significance. Some
of these flags you may recognize right away, and some may be completely foreign toyou. Even a familiar flag, however, could be subtly different from the one you are
identifying with it. Consider how the flag of the United States has changed overtime.
Flags of the United States Over Time
Our search will be all the more interesting in that we have
almost no information about these flags other than their appearance. It will require a very creative use of the resources available to us,including combining several resources to corroborate our findings. As we explore resources such as
flag histories and flag databases, note the different ways that these tools can be used and inwhat situations one tool may be better than another.
Let's start with the most prominent flags in the image: the top
two in the middle, taking the one on the left first, then moving clockwise around theimage.
Flag 1
Flag 1 Note the key features of this flag: it includes three crescent and star pairs in white
on a red background. In our search for the identity of this flag we will be drawing heavilyon the resources available at Rice's Fondren Library. However, the same techniques are applicable at most
libraries.
Let's begin with the online catalog to see what sort of
resources are available there for us to use. Visit
WebCat , enter "flags of the world," select the keyword
bubble above the box, and then select the Search Everything option. If you wouldlike a review of using online catalogs please visit our
library catalog module .Results two, three, and four look promising.
Search results 2-4: "National flags of the world," "The New Rand McNally college world
atlas," and "Flags of the World." Result six reminds us that flags change over time, often into
completely different designs than the previous flag.
Search result 6: "Flags through the ages." Results eleven and twelve also seem to address the history of flags and the way
they change over time. An earlier publicationmight contain information that newer books would leave out in favor of more
recent developments.
Search results 11-12: "Flags of the world, past and present" and "The flags of the world;
their history, blazonry, and associations." Getting an exact match for our flag will require a bit of browsing.
Let's gather up several of these resources so that we can review their contentsfor the information we need in one sitting. Besides, you will notice the similarities in their call
numbers.Remember that similar books are grouped together for their content. When
you visit the stacks, you should always look around for other related material.
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Source:
OpenStax, Understanding material culture: deciphering the imagery of the "souvenir of egypt". OpenStax CNX. Oct 08, 2006 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10301/1.7
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