She's Proud of Her Title of "Modern Betsy Ross"

1915

In her studio on the top floor of a quaint brick building in Westland avenue, Boston, Mass., Mrs. Amelia Fowler, the famous flag expert, sits quietly in a businesslike frame, and, with needle and thread, works wonders. The photograph shown here was taken recently in the studio. Mrs. Fowler takes a piece of silk and embroiders America's seal on one side. Then she turns it over and embroiders something else in different colors on the other. And neither design shows thru the silk. She is said to be the only person in the world who can do this.

And yet there isn't the slightest inclination on Mrs. Fowler's part to make believe she is endowed with any special ability. She assumes — in fact, says openly — that her accomplishment is due to natural ability combined with hard, conscientious work. Tho she has many employees, she is herself probably the hardest working of all. She's enthusiastic over flag restoration and imparts this enthusiasm to her co-workers.

Mrs. Fowler is known all over the world as an authority on flags, flag restoration and flag history. She is called the "modern Betsy Ross." And she is proud of this title. It will be remembered that Mrs. Elizabeth ("Betsy") Ross, a patriotic lady, made the first "Stars and Stripes" in 1777. Previous to that time several designs had been used for flags. The flag as adopted June 14, 1777, had 13 white stars, arranged in a circle, in a field of blue, and the fly had 13 stripes, alternate red and white, and retained its form until 1795, when Vermont and Kentucky were admitted into the Union; then, by an act of Congress, it was changed to 15 stars and 15 stripes. On March 24, 1818, an act was passed restoring the flag to its original 13 stripes, and ordered "That a new star be added on the 4th of July succeeding the admission of every new State."

Mrs. Fowler does practically all the present flag work for the United States Government. She has restored 173 flags and received $300,000 for her work. She specializes on the "Stars and Stripes," America's emblem. "It means so much to me now, more so, perhaps, than ever before," says Mrs. Fowler. "We should all feel proud of our flag and our country in these days of trial."