(6.14) Remember when we were all British? This was our flag. This particular flag can be found in the Royal Charter Museum on the first floor of the Rhode Island Statehouse. The wall text beneath the display states,
“Flag from the ship that brought the 1663 Charter, c. 1663”
This is a replica of the flag that supposedly flew on one of the ships that carried the 1663 Charter from England to Rhode Island. The original is in the collection of the The Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Newport, Rhode Island.
Not the most elegant prose to be sure, but this display helps to illuminate the folly of building a brand new state heritage museum as has been suggested (ProJo 6.14.16). If the Redwood Library wouldn’t part with the original flag for the state’s Royal Charter Museum, where would a new museum expect to get any good stuff? Libraries and museums dotted around the state take rightful pride in their collections, artifacts, and documents, most of which they have been preserving and investing in for decades. Do we really need a big new museum full of photographs and replicas of these things?
In my original post on the dumb new museum idea I listed some of the many awesome smaller museums around the state. I neglected to include in that list the Tomaquag Museum which was just then being honored in a ceremony at the White House hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama (6.1.16 RINPR)! Well done.
For more about visiting the Royal Charter Museum in the Statehouse, and a link to the self-guided tour, go here.