Carte-de-visite of Captain William Driver

  • Title: Carte-de-visite of Captain William Driver
  • Description: This studio photograph shows a man seated in an ornate carved chair. "Old Glory" is inscribed in the border below.
  • Historical Note: William Driver, retired New England sea captain, owned the U.S. flag now known as "Old Glory." It was raised over the state capitol in February 1862 soon after Union soldiers entered Nashville. Captain William Driver (1804-1886) was noted as a sea captain for having saved the descendents of the Bounty mutineers in in 1831, transporting them back to their home on Pitcairn's Island from Tahiti, where they had been living temporarily for six months because of a drought. Driver's family had made a flag for him to fly on the first ship he captained in 1824. He named it "Old Glory." After he retired from the sea and moved to Nashville, around 1837, he flew the flag regularly once or twice a year. During the Civil War, it was sewn into a quilt to hide it from the Confederate Army. After the war, Driver continued to fly the flag on special occasions and earned himself the nickname of 'Old Glory Driver.' This is probably what the inscription on the carte-de-visite refers to.
  • Institution: Tennessee State Museum
  • Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
  • URL: http://cdm15838.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/shades
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