The history and myths surrounding the flag of the United States and other American cultural icons were the subject of a talk by authors Karal Ann Marling and Vincent Virga at on Flag Day, Monday, June 14, 2004. The program was part of the Center for the Book’s author series, "Books & Beyond," which highlights books of special relevance to the Library of Congress and was co-sponsored by the Library’s Publishing Office.

Karal Ann Marling’s book, "Old Glory: Unfurling History" (Bunker Hill Publishing, in association with the Library of Congress, 2004) is based on the Library’s vast holdings of images of the American flag. To illustrate the story of the flag, Marling uses images that document the role of the flag from Revolutionary times to the present.

"Eyes of the Nation" (Alfred A. Knopf, in association with the Library of Congress, 1997) is a one-volume pictorial and narrative history of the United States. The art selections of Vincent Virga and the Library’s curators come from every stage of the nation’s development. Karal Ann Marling is professor of art history and American studies at the University of Minnesota. She has published extensively, including "George Washington Slept Here" (Harvard University Press, 1988). Vincent Virga has been called "America's foremost picture editor. has researched, edited and designed picture sections for more than 150 books, most recently for "Living History" (Scribner, April 2004) by Hillary Rodham Clinton.