Bird+of+Freedom

Date: 1942
 * [[image:https://s3.amazonaws.com/saam.media/files/styles/x_large/s3/images/1966/1966.48.90_1a.jpg?itok=KX8KeSBZ width="210" height="278"]] || Title: **Bird of Freedom**

Artist: **Stow Wengenroth** Born: New York, New York 1906 Died: Gloucester, Massachusetts 1978

Medium: lithograph Dimensions: 15 3/4 x 11 7/8 in. (40.0 x 30.2 cm) Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of International Business Machines Corporation

Accession: 1966.48.90 || This artwork serves as an excellent introduction to Signs and Symbols because it encompasses two national symbols: the American bald eagle set against a backdrop of the American flag. The bald eagle has been the national bird since 1782, when it was placed on the Great Seal of the United States. The eagle is a ubiquitous image, appearing on currencies, official documents, and in government institutions throughout the nation. As a national symbol, we often associate the eagle with qualities such as pride, strength, courage, and freedom. Use the artwork to start a conversation about the First Amendment and national pride.
 * About the Artwork: **

For early elementary audiences:
 * Suggested Questions: **
 * Ask students to pose like the eagle by sitting up straight and tucking their arms behind them like the eagle's wings in the picture. As they pose, you can talk about how the eagle is proud and strong (like our nation). This reiterates the eagle's symbolism in a more memorable way for them.
 * Birds are also seen as a symbol of freedom because they have wings that allow them to fly wherever they want, "free as a bird." Tell students to imagine that they are this eagle: Where would you fly?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Like the eagle's freedom of flight, we have certain freedoms as United States citizens. You may choose to briefly mention the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Signs and Symbols Guide
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Resources: **

SAAM Collections Page
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;">Links: **