Olsen-Smith identifies Civil War-era flag belonging to Herman Melville

Professor Steven Olsen-Smith from the Department of English Literature has identified the Civil War-era flag of the United States owned and autographed by American author Herman Melville. Olsen-Smith's analysis of the artifact and flag imagery in "Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War," Melville's first published volume of poetry, will be published in the June 2026 issue of "Leviathan: A Journal of Melville Studies."

A digital preview of the publication with analysis and photos of the flag is available in an online exhibit. Olsen-Smith will also be present at the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative Faculty Showcase from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, April 6, to discuss grant-funded technology behind the preview and its availability for use by university faculty and students.

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