The “Flag Fad”



In the wake of the Dixiecrat campaign, a nationwide “flag fad” occurred in the early 1950s. Reporters wondered why young people, whose great-grandparents vanquished the Confederacy, were now flaunting the Confederate flag as clothing and automobile decorations. The fad, followed a decade later by the Civil War Centennial, started the flood of Confederate flag trinkets, souvenirs, and other items that became a staple of American popular culture. 

Images:
Fad covered in Life Magazine (1951) The Confederate flag’s “fad” status in the North as well as the South captured the attention of the iconic magazine, Life, in 1951. ACWM Collections

Miss Dixie, Detail from Life MagazineAn unidentified woman posed with a blouse made from three flags, 1951. ACWM Collections

Car decorations, detail from Life Magazine
Students cruised in an open-topped car with one large Confederate national flag and several small battle flags whipping in the breeze.

ACWM Collections