Regimental Colors of the 2nd O.V.H.A.

This cream-colored silk flag served as the regimental colors of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery. The flag was manufactured in the United States between 1861 and 1865. Crossed cannon barrels are painted in the center of the flag. A red scroll painted above the cannons features tassel at its center. Gold text in the banner reads: "2nd. REGT." A red scroll painted beneath the cannons features decorative fleur-de-lis on each end. Gold text in the banner reads: "HEAVY ARTILLERY. OHIO VOLS." The flag has gold fringe with plied-cut ends four centimeters in length. The dimensions of the flag are 180 cm by 180 cm. Ohio battle flags were on display at the Ohio Statehouse until the 1960s, when the state formed a committee to oversee the efforts to restore the fragile flags. Some of the battle flags were on display on the Plaza Level of the Ohio Historical Society from 1970 until 1989. For conservation reasons, the flags have been in storage since 1989. In the 1960s, the collection was photographed and commercial artist Robert Needham painted illustrations of many Civil War flags. Photographs of the flags and the paintings are now part of the society's archival collections