Museum Recognized for Excellence
The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House today announced it has passed the American Alliance of Museums’ Core Documents Verification, and important milestone in its ongoing efforts to demonstrate excellence and meet standards and best practices.
Earning Core Documents Verification means the national professional organization for the museum industry has verified – through a thorough expert review – that the museum has an educational mission and ethics, planning, emergency, and collections stewardship policies in place that reflect standard practices of professional museums. These elements were evaluated because they are deemed essential for every institution that identifies itself as a professional member of the museum field.
Of the nation’s 35,000 plus museums only about 1,100 have passed the Core Documents Verification. The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House is one of 25 museums in Maryland to have done so.
One reason Flag House undertook this outside review was to show the public that the museum has in place the policies and plans that are essential to good museum management and which provide staff and governing authority the structure, ethical grounding, and accountability needed to make informed and consistent decisions in support of our mission and sustainability.
“We couldn’t be more proud and excited to receive Core Documents Verification,” said Amanda Shores Davis, Executive Director at the Flag House. “This is one of many major milestones we’ve achieved in the past three years as we pursue American Alliance of Museums accreditation and validates the tremendous effort put in by staff and the governing body. I hope our success can be a model for other small museums of what can be accomplished when resources seem limited but, you remain dedicated to your mission and strategic plan.”
About the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House is a National Historic Landmark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Built in 1793, the historic Flag House was the home and workplace of flag maker Mary Young Pickersgill, maker of the Star-Spangled Banner flag that inspired our national anthem. Today the Flag House is restored to and 1813 appearance and is furnished with both period and Pickersgill family artifacts. The Flag House’s Hofmeister Building boasts the Great Flag Window, a replica of the 30’ x 42’ Star-Spangled Banner and is also home to Family of Flag Makers, the first museum exhibit devoted to the life and career of Mary Pickersgill. On view are the receipt given to Mrs. Pickersgill for the production of the flag, fragments of the Star-Spangled Banner, and other archaeological objects that allow visitors to envision what life was like in the Flag House.
2017 marks the Flag House’s 90th anniversary as a public museum and historic site.
