The American and Minnesota state flags ripple above the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, silhouetted against the glass and steel geometry of nearby modern office buildings. Completed in 1929, the Foshay Tower was the city’s first skyscraper and remained its tallest structure for over three decades. Modeled after the Washington Monument, it symbolized both the ambition and excess of the late Jazz Age. Today, the tower stands as a protected landmark, housing a hotel and museum that preserve its Art Deco legacy. The juxtaposition of flags and architecture here reflects Minnesota’s blend of historic pride and urban evolution — a monument to both civic identity and architectural endurance.

New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Department of Corrections flags flying at a security checkpoint at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

A flag hanging in downtown Minneapolis.

A "Black Lives Matter" flag flies at the top of a church near the Minneapolis police third precinct that burned in May 2020.

A row of political signs displayed along a residential fence during the 2024 U.S. election cycle. The banners, supporting former President Donald Trump and expressing opposition to President Joe Biden, reflect the increasing visibility of partisan messaging in everyday public and suburban spaces. Throughout the Upper Midwest and many parts of the country, large-format yard signs and roadside banners became common ways for homeowners to express political allegiance ahead of the election.

The use of oversized, commercially printed campaign signs grew significantly after the 2016 and 2020 elections, coinciding with the rise of direct-to-consumer political merchandise and online storefronts selling non-official campaign materials. Residential displays like this illustrate how political identity has increasingly blended into street-level visual culture, especially in communities where private property is used as a platform for ongoing political messaging outside traditional election windows.

The ATF and DEA gather outside the Holiday Gas station where Dolal Idd was shot and killed by Minneapolis Police on December 31, 2020.

Minneapolis Police fatally shoot a man after a traffic stop.

Protesters wave “Trump 2020” flags at a Stop The Steal rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on December 12, 2020.

Woman with an Oromo flag during a march through Northeast Minneapolis.

Siding burned off a building in South Minneapolis with an American Flag hanging from it. The heat from nearby fires burned the siding off.

Protester holds up a “Black Lives Matter” flag at 38th St and Chicago Ave where George Floyd died on May 28th, 2020.