Start your eyes at the closest flag and slowly look down the avenue to the flags hanging furthest away from you.

How many flags do you see?

What time of day and season is it?

Is there a breeze blowing?

[Click the "zoom" button to get a closer look.]

During World War I the blocks along Fifth Avenue from 42nd Street to 59th Street displayed the flags of all the Allied countries. These colorful flags were meant to encourage patriotic spirit and raise money to pay for wartime expenses.

Looking north from 53rd Street, Hassam transformed three city blocks of flags into a colorful pattern of rectangles, stripes, triangles, circles, and diamond shapes. Flags became one of his most popular subjects and Hassam created more than thirty paintings of streets decorated with flags.