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Darien Man's Flag Photos Fly In Bruce Museum Exhibit

DARIEN, Conn. – After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of patriotic tributes went up across the United States, acts which inspired Robert Carley of Darien.

Robert Carley, of Darien, poses with a photograph in his new exhibit, Flags Across America, at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

Robert Carley, of Darien, poses with a photograph in his new exhibit, Flags Across America, at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

 Photo Credit: Courtesy of Robert Carley
Robert Carley, of Darien, takes a picture of a patriotic display. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

Robert Carley, of Darien, takes a picture of a patriotic display. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

 Photo Credit: Courtesy of Robert Carley
A photograph of a house in Mich., painted to look like an American flag by Robert Carley. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

A photograph of a house in Mich., painted to look like an American flag by Robert Carley. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

 Photo Credit: Robert Carley
A photograph of a painted chain link fence by Robert Carley. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

A photograph of a painted chain link fence by Robert Carley. His exhibit, Flags Across America, is up at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn.

 Photo Credit: Robert Carley
by Suzanne Samin

Though he was safe in his office across Long Island Sound, Carley was profoundly affected by the tragedy. The patriotic tributes “creatively untethered” him, and he started taking photos of the heartfelt displays around him.

“I was standing there watching the plumes of smoke with my co-workers, and I said, 'We’re probably watching thousands of people die right now.' The next day, I was driving home and I saw a man pacing on an overpass waving an American flag. I thought it was great, and I wanted to start documenting it all.”

In the 12 years since, Carley has visited 43 states and taken more than 30,000 photographs. His exhibit,  “Flags Across America,” opened at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich on July 14.

The date was significant to Carley because it marks Bastille Day – the French holiday that celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 at the start of the French Revolution. Carley is descended from the French Huguenots, who settled in New Rochelle, N.Y., about 325 years ago.

His grandmother, Eliane Ame-Leroy Carley, wrote a famous French cookbook and was invited to the 300th anniversary celebration of New Rochelle's founding in 1988.

Carley treasures his French heritage but remains partial to the Star-Spangled Banner.

“I find the American flag more fascinating. It can transform itself into many different things. People couldn’t buy flags after Sept. 11 because they were sold out. So, they painted it on objects and houses. Average Americans have created amazing tributes that are more interesting than fine artists,” he said.

The exhibit at the Bruce contains more than 40 photographs taken across the country. It will run until Sept. 22.

“This exhibit’s purpose is to showcase the work of Americans. We live in a great country, we should appreciate it more,” Carley said.

The Bruce Museum is at 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. For information, visit its website. 

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