The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Fleming, E. McClung (Edward McClung), 1909-

Title: Symbols of America Research Papers

Dates: ca.1960-1994

Call No.: Col. 582

Acc. No.: 95x21

Quantity: 29 boxes

Location: 35 J 5-6, K 1-3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Edward McClung (“Mac”) Fleming was director of education at the Winterthur Museum, and after his retirement from that position, he continued as a research associate. He was born in India, where his parents were missionaries; the family returned to the United States when he was three years old. He received a B.A. degree from Yale University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in American intellectual and cultural history from Columbia University. Dr. Fleming taught history at Forman College, Lahore, India for two years, then taught at the College of the City of New York for seven years. During World War II, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army. From 1947 to 1955, Dr. Fleming was professor of history and dean at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. In 1955, he came to Winterthur Museum as head of the Education Division, a position he held until his retirement in 1974. His responsibilities included educating tour guides, organizing school tours, presenting seminars and conferences, and teaching in the joint Winterthur Museum/University of Delaware Program in Early American Culture.

After retiring from Winterthur, Dr. Fleming researched symbols of America, in preparation for writing a book which Winterthur hoped to publish. Unfortunately, Dr. Fleming died on May 30, 1994, before completing the work.

Dr. Fleming was married to Patricia Crew Fleming. She was an artist and a guide at Winterthur, and was very interested in Chinese export porcelain and English ceramics. They had three sons and one daughter.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Most of the materials in the collection are notes and pictures, including photographs and slides, collected by Dr. Fleming for his book on symbols of America. Drafts of most of the chapters are included, as are copies of lectures delivered by Dr. Fleming, and some records from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture. Some of the lectures were about symbols of America; the others covered a range of topics relating to history, material culture, and museums. There are also a number of slides from Winterthur’s Education Department; most of these depict historic sites, 18^th and early 19^th century costumes, and Winterthur Summer Institutes. None of them seem to have any relation to his research on symbols of America, but do pertain to his position as head of the Education Department.

ORGANIZATION

The organization of the collection reflects Dr. Fleming’s arrangement of his papers, so materials on the same subject may be found in more than one place.

Boxes 1-4 contain drafts of most of the chapters of Dr. Fleming’s book. Lectures delivered by him are found in boxes 4, 5, and 7. Boxes 10-15 contain note cards. Box 20 contains correspondence, plus a folder of personal material pertaining to Dr. Fleming (notices of his appointment to Winterthur, obituary, etc.) In Box 25 are found books which Dr. Fleming consulted and in which he made notes while researching symbols of America. Slides are found in boxes 26-29. These include slides from Winterthur’s Education Department; most of these slides are labeled with a letter and number scheme (G-1, G-2, etc.), and they have been arranged in that order, although it is not known what the letters signify.

PROVENANCE

Gift of the Fleming family estate, through Daniel J. Fleming, III, 645 Watson Branch Dr., Franklin, Tennessee 37064

SEPARATION NOTICE

Microfilm of Totten, Charles, A.L., The Seal of History, New Haven, 1897, was removed to microfilm collection, Mic.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Decoration and ornament – United States

Emblems, National – United States

National characteristics, American

Nationalism

Signs and symbols

Patriotism - United States.

United States – Civilization

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 35 J 5-6, K 1-3

Box 1:

Folder 1: Preface; Introduction

Folders 2-3: Chapter I: Indian Queen

Folder 4: Chapter II: “The First Era of National Symbol-making, 1765-1789”

Folders 5-6: Chapter III: The Indian

Folder 7: Chapter III: The Indian: first draft

Folder 8: Chapter IV: Columbia, part 1

[continues in next box]

Box 2:

Folder 1: Chapter IV: Columbia, part 2

[continued from previous box]

Folder 2: Chapter IV: Liberty as goddess

Folder 3: Chapter V: Liberty Tree and Pole

Folder 4: Chapter VI: Pine tree, Rattlesnake

Folders 5-6: Chapter VII: Liberty as Columbia

Box 3:

Folder 1: Chapter IX: part 1: Union

Folder 2: Chapter IX: part 2: Independence

Folders 3-4: Chapter XI: Flag

Folders 5-6: Chapter XII: The Great Seal

Folder 7: Chapter XIV: The Eagle

Box 4:

Folder 1: Chapter XVI: George Washington

Folder 2: Chapter XVII: From Yankee Doodle to Uncle Sam

Folder 3: Symbols: Publications [articles by Dr. Fleming]

Folder 4: U.S. symbols at Winterthur

Folder 5: Symbols of U.S.: master organization

Folders 6-7: Lectures, chiefly on symbols

Box 5:

Folder 1: The Great Seal: lecture

Folder 2: Liberty-Columbia on coinage

Folder 3: Liberty-Columbia: work on Antiques Show

Folders 4-5: U.S. symbols: topical

Folders 6-7: U.S. symbols, part 1

Folder 8: U.S. symbols: NEH grant, part 1

Folder 9: Columbia project, Winterthur

Box 6:

Folders 1-2: “’New England’s Annoyances’: America’s First Folk Song,” paper by J.A. Leo Lemay

Folder 3: “Franklin’s American Aesthetic,” paper by J.A. Leo Lemay

Folder 5: Winterthur: American image

Folder 6: Winterthur - symbols

Folders 7-9: Monograph: Symbols: books and articles

Box 7:

Folder 1: Monograph: Symbols: draft

Folders 2-3: Miscellaneous

Includes issue of The American Literary Magazine (vol. 2, no. 2 [Feb. 1848]) and Magazine of Art (v. 39, no. 7 [Nov. 1946])

Folder 4: Artifact lecture

Folders 5-6: Lectures by EMF, 1967-1969,

Folder 7: ARH 801, II A-B-C, 1971

Box 8:

Folders 1-2: H802: current

Folders 3-4: Culture concept: interaction, art and culture

Folder 5: Symbols of America: EMF’s original proposal

Folder 6: Symbols: research, contract, correspondence, Ian and Winterthur, 1973-1976

Folder 7: Checklists, symbols, sources, outlines, titles, 1976

Folder 8: Symbols of America: progress reports, 1976-1978

Box 9:

Folder 1: EMF: symbols book: research expenses, 1973-1979

Folder 2: EMF: symbols book: research grant, ACLS, 1973-1974

Folder 3: Outline of symbols book, 1976

Folder 4: Mac - symbols

Folder 5: Image no. 1: correspondence, 1964-1966

Folder 6: American image: re: illustrations, 1967

Folder 7: Cooperstown miscellaneous (1950s); and Butterfield [book dealer], 1969

Folder 8: “The Singular Fate of the Reverse of the Great Seal of the United States”

Folder 9: “The Story of the Great Seal of the United States,” American Heritage

Folder 10: Introduction: “Symbols of the Young Nation, 1765-1790”

Folder 11: American militiaman: symbols, texts (article: “The New England Solider,” by John Ferling)

Folder 12: American symbols: raw material: symbols, texts

Folder 13: Chapter III: The Belligerent Years: symbols, texts

Folder 14: Benno: outline: symbols, texts

Folder 15: Britannia: symbols, texts

Folder 16: Brother Jonathan: symbols, texts

Box 10: Note cards: Indian queen; eagle; George Washington; militia man; Yankee Doodle; Uncle Sam; index; Union

Box 11: Note cards: flag; seal; research institutions; bibliography, A-P

Box 12: Note cards: bibliography, Q-Z; chapter III: The Indian; chapter IV: Columbia

Box 13: Note cards: to file

Box 14 : Note cards: to accompany slides (“pull slide, check card with number on slide”)

Box 15: Note cards about symbols of America; cards to be filed

Box 16:

Folder 1: Brother Jonathan: symbols II: illustrations

Folder 2: Ceramics: symbols, texts

Folder 3: Coinage: symbols, texts

Folder 4: Columbia and Columbia, plumed: symbols, texts

Folder 5: Columbian myth: symbols, texts

Folder 6: Cooperstown trip, etc.: symbols, texts (1970s)

Folder 7: Craig black boys: symbols II, illustrations; paper: “Sculpture for Smokers”

Folder 8: Eagle, general: symbols, texts

Folder 9: Eagles: Old Deerfield paper by Tom Steil: symbols, texts

Folder 10: Eagle: slides, symbols II, illustrations

Folder 11: Eagles, plumes, miscellaneous: symbols II, illustrations

Box 17:

Folder 1: Flag: symbols, texts;

Includes a plastic sheet of “Flags of U.S.A.,” printed to help the Flag Heritage Foundation, Lexington, Mass., establish a flag museum; supported by Schmidt’s Sunbeam Bread

Folder 2: Flags, other: symbols, texts;

Includes flag coloring books

Folder 3: Great Seal: symbols, texts

Folder 4: Great Seal: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 5: Great Seal, Esoteric Study Center: symbols, texts

Folder 6: Symbols illustrations I thru Pine tree

Folder 7: In God We Trust: symbols, texts

Folder 8: Indian: symbols, texts

Folder 9: Indian brave, Tammany: symbols, texts

Folder 10: Indian, Columbia: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 11: Indian in American, Indian brave: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 12: Indian princess

Box 18:

Folder 1: Indian princess: American: symbols II: illustrations

Folder 2: Indian princess: Dutch, French: symbols II: illustrations

Folder 3: Indian princess: English: symbols II: illustrations; English political prints

Folder 4: Indian princess: chapter III: symbols, texts

Folder 5: Indian queen: symbols, texts

Folder 6: Indian queen: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 7: Liberty

Folder 8: Liberty Bell: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 9: Liberty cap, pole, bell: symbols, texts

Folder 10: Liberty cap, pole, tree, flag: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 11: Liberty-Columbia: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 12: Liberty-Columbia: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 13: Liberty: Goddess, 1792-1815: symbols, texts

Folder 14: Liberty, Roman: symbols, texts

Folder 15: Liberty tree, maypole: symbols, texts

Folder 16: Major Jack Downing, Yankee Doodle: symbols, texts

Folder 17: Minerva-Columbia: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 18: Minerva, Hercules: symbols II, illustrations

Box 19:

Folder 1: Monographs: emblems on Liberty: Hagley, symbols II, illustrations

Folder 2: Neoclassical: Minerva, Hercules: symbols, texts

Folder 3: Newport Light Infantry: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 4: Patriotic symbols – miscellaneous general: symbols, texts

Folder 5: Snake: symbols II, illustrations; symbols, texts

Folder 6: Stars and stripes, Columbia: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 7: State seals, flags: symbols, texts

Folder 8: Uncle Sam: symbols, texts; symbols II, illustrations

Folder 9: Union: symbol, texts; symbols II, illustrations

Folder 10: George Washington: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 11: Yankee Doodle: symbols II, illustrations

Folder 12: Symbols of America: correspondence, reports

Folder 13: Correspondence to answer, 1980-1981

Box 20:

Folder 1: Correspondence, general, 1975-1984

Folder 2: Correspondence with Columbia University Press re: my Columbia, 1986-1987

Folder 3: Correspondence: Esoteric Study Center, Hieronimus, Reed, etc., 1976-1980

Folder 4: Correspondence: Connecticut, 1975-1979

Folder 5: Correspondence: Delaware, 1975-1987

Folder 6: Correspondence: Massachusetts, 1975-1978

Folder 7: Correspondence: New York, 1964-1986

Folder 8: Correspondence: Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 1976-1984

Folder 9: Correspondence: Virginia, 1981-1982

Folder 10: Correspondence: Washington, DC, 1975-1984

Folder 11: E. McClung Fleming: biographical data, 1980; appointment to Winterthur, 1955; obituary, resume

Box 21:

Folder 1: American character

Folder 2: American heritage

Folder 3: Baltimore

Folders 4-5: Independence – eagles, part 1

Folder 6: Miscellaneous

Folder 7: Post cards and patriotic envelopes: photocopies

Folder 8: Symbols - Bicentennial

Folder 9: Symbols – current

Folder 10: Symbols – miscellaneous, important

Box 22:

Folder 1: American patriotic and political china

Folder 2: American Revolution

Folder 3: Architect of Capitol

Folder 4: Cartoons – history of American Revolution

Folder 5: Change in concept of the book, 1976

Folder 6: Coins, medals, currency

Folder 7: Copies with historical notes

Folder 8: Eagles, snakes, flags

Folder 9: Emblems of America

Folder 10: Foreign influences

Folder 11: Historical newspaper articles

Folder 12: Historical newspaper cartoons

Folder 13: Liberty

Folder 14: Library Company

Folder 15: Mayflower and maypole

Folder 16: Miscellaneous

Folder 17: Music

Folder 18: 19^th century

Folder 19: Notes

Folder 20: Photoduplication requests: AAS, Library of Congress, NYPL

Folder 21: Statue: “Freedom”

Folder 22: Strong Museum

Folder 23: Uncle Sam

Folder 24: University of Delaware

Folder 25: U.S. symbols

Box 23:

Folders 1-2: From Indian queen to Uncle Sam, part 1

Box 24:

Folder 1: American Heritage – book of the Revolution

Folder 2: Detroit talk – outlines, manuscript

Folder 3: Eagles – Winterthur, 1969

Folder 4: Greenwood Press article on Winterthur, 1980-1981

Folder 5: Historical societies - memos

Folder 6: Indians, 1840s

Folder 7: Linen tea towel: Philadelphia motifs

Folder 8: Non-book correspondence, 1981-1983

Folder 9: Peabody Museum

Folders 10-11: Portfolio III: correspondence, 1966

Folder 12: Prown, Jules – material culture, 1981

Folder 13: Publication permissions for illustrations for snakes, 1969

Box 25:

Folder 1: Symbols: folk and scrimshaw

Folder 2: Symbols: New York Public Library

Folder 3: Symbols of U.S. – talk at Emory University, 1973

Folders 4-5: “An American Icon: Brother Jonathan and American Identity,” by Winifred Morgan

Books: Coin Dictionary and Guide, by C.C. Chamberlain and Fred Reinfeld, 1960;

Report on “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Hail Columbia,” “America,” “Yankee Doodle,” by Oscar George Theodore Sonneck, 1972;

Songbook of the American Revolution, by Carolyn Rabson, 1974;

So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag, by William Rea Furlong and Byron McCandless, 1981.

Box 26: slides

Folder: 1 Slides: Four continents, montage of symbols

Folder: 2 Slides: Indian queen, 16^th and 17^th centuries

Folder: 3 Slides: Indian queen (continued)

Folder: 4 Slides: Indian princess: English prints

Folder: 5 Slides: Indian princess: English prints (con’t), non-cartoons, non-prints

Folder: 6 Slides: Indian princess: Dutch, French

Folder: 7 Slides: Indian princess: American prints

Folder: 8 Slides: Indian princess: American, non-prints

Folder: 9 Slides: Indian chief (brave) as symbol of U.S.

Folder: 10 Slides: Indian in American experience

Folder: 11 Slides: Indian in American life (con’t) (noble savage);

Slides: Pine tree

Folder: 12 Slides: Pine tree (con’t); Rattlesnake

Folder: 13 Slides: Rattlesnake

Folder: 14 Slides: Liberty cap, Liberty Bell, Liberty tree, Liberty pole

Folder: 15 Slides: Liberty, slogans, mottoes, emblems, flag

Folder: 16 Slides: Flag, seal

Folder: 17 Slides: eye of God, pyramid, seal

Folder: 18 Slides: seal (continued); Eagle

Folder: 19 Slides: Eagle (continued)

Folder: 20 Slides: Union

Folder: 21 Slides: George Washington

Folder: 22 Slides: Yankee Doodle

Folder: 23 Slides: Brother Jonathan

Folder: 24 Slides: Major Jack Downing

Folder: 25 Slides: Uncle Sam

Folder: 26 Slides: Serpent miscellaneous; Uncle Sam

Box 27: slides

Folder: 1 Slides: Columbia

Folder: 2 Slides: Liberty-Columbia

Folder: 3 Slides: Liberty-Columbia, coins

Folder: 4 Slides: Hercules, Minerva, Columbia

Folder: 5 Slides: plumed Columbia

Folder: 6 Slides: Columbia crowned

Folder: 7 Slides: Indian-Columbia

Folder: 8 Slides: Stars and stripes, Columbia

Folder: 9 Slides: Stars and stripes, Columbia

Folder: 10 Slides: unclassified WMF (part 1)

Folder: 11 Slides: unclassified WMF (part 2)

Folder: 12 Slides: made for CAF, not used by EMF

Folder: 13 Slides: made for CAF, not used by EMF

Folder: 14 Slides: miscellaneous (part 1)

Folder: 15 Slides: miscellaneous (part 2)

Folder: 16 Slides: EMF, U.S. colonies, 18^th century, chiefly unlabeled, miscellaneous, part 1

Folder: 17 Slides: EMF, U.S. colonies, 18^th century, chiefly unlabeled, miscellaneous, part 2

Folder: 18 Slides: Great Seal, Columbia, flags

Folder: 19 Slides: Liberty pole, Washington, etc.

Folder: 20 Slides: Seals

Folder: 21 Slides: Providence Artillery color; Yankee Doodle; Junior League party: cake for Mr. du Pont; Independence National Historic Park; miscellaneous national history; Paul Revere cartoon

Folder: 22 Slides: Japanese tea ceremony and floral arrangement; Mayflower cross section; Burgess view, Boston; sailing ship; Fort Amsterdam; Geo. Frick; Plimouth Plantation

Folder: 23 Slides: Yucatan; 18^th century Philadelphia public buildings; Lexington (Mass.?) Historical Society; Maryland Historical Society; sailing ship; miscellaneous

Folder: 24 Slides: Merrimack Valley Textile Museum

Folder: 25 Slides: line of beauty – neoclassical; Memorial Hall, Deerfield, Mass.; Dutch delft tobacco jar, miscellaneous

Folder: 26 Slides: unclassified 18^th century U.S. life, part 1

Folder: 27 Slides: unclassified 18^th century U.S. life, part 2

Box 28: mostly slides, but also replica coins and a cassette tape

Folder: 1 Slides: the Indian

Folder: 2 Slides: Eagle

Folder: 3 Slides: Eagles

Folder 4: Slides: South Carolina homes and plantations

Folder 5: Slides: Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

Folder 6: Negatives

Folder 7: large metal replicas of twenty dollar gold piece, Liberty head dime (1916), and Indian head penny (1877)

Folder 8: audiovisual program cassette tape: “We Care about Eagles,” by National Wildlife Federation