Uncle Sam on the Merrimac pattern

Manufacturer C. L. Flaccus Glass Co. (American, 1879 - 1928)

Datec. 1888-1898

MediumNon-flint milk white pressed glass

Dimensions4 1/2 x 3 x 6 1/2 in. (11.4 x 7.6 x 16.5 cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of Lynn and Lonnie Sulzberger. In the Iowa Quester Glass Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2005.323ab

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextUncle Sam is the iconic personification of the United States, widely recognized as a tall, bearded figure dressed in clothing and hat patterned after the American flag. The symbol originated in the early 19th century, with the name likely derived from Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, stamped with “U.S.” for United States. Over time, “Uncle Sam” came to represent the federal government and, more broadly, the American people, often appearing in political cartoons, posters, and propaganda. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the figure had become firmly entrenched in American culture as a symbol of patriotism, civic duty, and national identity, most famously immortalized in James Montgomery Flagg’s World War I recruitment poster with the pointing Uncle Sam declaring, “I Want You.” Mouraux, Cecile, and Jean-Pierre Mouraux. Who Was “Uncle Sam”: Illustrated Story of the Life of Our National Symbol. Sonoma, CA: Poster Collector (2006).

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