Symbolic America: Nationalistic Iconography and Public Schools

• In Event: Race, Religion, and Nationalism: Symbols and Action in Education History

Abstract

The content of educational iconography in the form of architectural ornamentation included on public school buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries indicates a shift in the way American patriotic and nationalistic symbolism were activated and deployed. Through a rich examination of this ornamentation as both an aesthetic and ideological feature of schooling spaces, it should be possible to deconstruct the history and enduring legacy of the specific symbols and artifacts under investigation. The evolution of educational iconography will be traced with particular attention paid to the audiences (intended and unintended) and the messages conveyed.

Author

• Benjamin D. Parker, Coastal Carolina University