On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state, requiring a redesign of the Stars and Stripes. Here, Grace Traube, an employee of Annen & Co. on lower Fifth Avenue, one of the largest flag manufacturers in the country, displays two proposed designs. Whichever was chosen, it didn't last long, as Hawaii became the 50th state just eight months later.
Photo: JH for the Associated Press














