On September 12, 2001, artist Robert Carley put down his pen and picked up his camera, setting out across the USA to document the American people's patriotism and creative love of the American flag. Twenty-five years later, his art and photos are on display at the Slater Museum at the Norwich Free Academy.

"For anybody to just pick up a camera and say, 'I'm going to go travel the country now to meet people and document again our response to what happened after 9/11.' Yeah, that is pretty bold," said Dayne Rugh, director of the Slater Memorial Museum at Norwich Free Academy.

Rugh says he is glad this moment in history was documented.

"As a museum, we try to remember things and we try to preserve as much memory as we can of the past. And this is the way we do that."

Photographer Robert Carley says, "You couldn't buy a flag after September 11; they all sold out. So they turned to making flags. So, I felt I had to document all of this — all this creativity, all these expressions."

Carley says, "I don't think I'll ever end taking pictures of American flags. It's just too inspiring for me."

Stars & Stripes: The American Flag from 9/11 to 250 is on view until Dec. 5, 2026.

Robert Carley has published these photographs in Liberated: Freed from the Flagpole.