First 49-Star Flag Cover

Date: July 1, 1959 • Location: Denali Borough, United States

B. Anthony Stewart is credited with the first image on the cover of National Geographic featuring the 49-star flag of the United States after Alaska's admission to the Union as a U.S. state.

Benjamín Anthony Stewart was an American photographer with National Geographic. Stewart is known for having the first image featured on the cover of the magazine, that of the 49-star flag of the United States after Alaska's admission to the Union as a U.S. state. He is credited with more than one-hundred photos in the publication, five of which were featured on the cover.