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  33 STARS, MADE FOR THE 1860 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WITH LINCOLN'S PORTRAIT IN THE CENTER OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MEDALLION STAR CONFIGURATION, ONE OF THE LARGEST & BEST OF ALL KNOWN TO EXIST

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 37.5" x 52.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 25" x 40.5"
Description....:
33 STARS, MADE FOR THE 1860 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN & HANNIBAL HAMLIN, AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE WITH LINCOLN'S PORTRAIT IN THE CENTER OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MEDALLION STAR CONFIGURATION, ONE OF THE LARGEST AND BEST OF ALL LINCOLN CAMPAIGN PARADE FLAGS KNOWN TO EXIST AND THE ONLY ONE RECORDED IN THIS EXACT STYLE:

This large scale parade flag, with 33 stars arranged in a very rare variety of single wreath pattern, is an extremely important object in the world of American flag and political campaign collecting. Not only is this due to its use by Abraham Lincoln during his first campaign for the Whitehouse with running mate Hannibal Hamlin in 1860, but far more so because of the presence of the overprinted image of his portrait in a circular medallion at the center of the canton. Among printed parade flags, those specifically used for political campaigning, with advertising of the candidates' names, faces, and slogans, are by far the most valuable. Among this subsection, those flags pertaining to the two campaigns of Abraham Lincoln are collectively the most valuable and widely desired. There are more rare flags, such as those made for Horace Greeley, Winfield Scott, or Millard Fillmore, among which scarcely any examples have survived, but there is no 19th century American personality so beloved as Lincoln and no 19th century event that has so enamored our nation's focus on history than the study of the Civil War. Further, among the existing flags that relate to our 16th president's aspirations for our nation's highest office, none are so sought after and desired than those containing his image. Numerous top collectors of political flags have left the hobby, or continue to collect today, without ever being lucky enough to acquire one.

All above the above facts point to the reason why Lincoln campaign portrait flags hold the top four (or more) records for the highest prices ever achieved for printed parade flags sold at public auction. In fact, as of June, 2008, this particular flag is the most significant among them. The reason why lies beyond the simple fact that it is the most recent Lincoln portrait flag to reach the auction block. The most important fact is its large size. While parade flags are typically three feet long and smaller, those just slightly larger, with dynamic graphics and specific history fetch the higher prices because they make a more dramatic statement. At approximately 25" x 40.5", this is not only the second largest example ever recorded among all Lincoln campaign parade flags that I currently know to exist, but it also falls approximately among the top 1% or 2% known to have survived from any campaign.

In terms of its overall design, the flag is exceptional for other reasons. For one, it is the only flag known in this exact style. Further, note how the size of the portrait image forced the designer of the flag to employ a medallion star configuration that used only one wreath. Most medallion patterns have two or three wreaths and a single is exceptionally rare in any parade flag that exhibits the full compliment of stars. And while most medallions simply have one flanking star in each corner of the canton, four in total, note how this one accommodates eleven. This was accomplished by placing two triangular groups of three in the top left and right, then five more below in what is probably supposed to be a line, from which two deviate slightly, one raised more than the other. Note also how the center-most of these five stars forces the star above it, at 6:00 on the single wreath, upward and out of position, creating a dimple at the base.

While there may, in fact, be no correlation, it is interesting to note that there are exactly eleven stars outside the inner wreath. This was the exact number of states that officially seceded from the Union during the Civil War among the 33 that existed at the time of the 1860 election. One therefore can not help to wonder if the person who made the flag, or the person that ordered it, was sending a subtle message.

I have never before seen this exact, dynamic and whimsical star pattern on any other flag and it adds substantially to the overall presentation of this extraordinary textile.

Brief Notes on Lincoln & Hamlin

It is interesting to note that Lincoln was hardly the favorite at the beginning of the campaign, winning the Republican nomination from the 3rd ticket. He then defeated John Bell (Constitution Party), John Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat), to become the Republican party's first president. Lincoln was elected with a mere thirty-nine percent of the vote and carried no state south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Hannibal Hamlin, our nation's first Republican vice president, was born in Maine in 1809. He was an attorney who, prior to the White House, served as Chairman of the Maine State House of Representatives, then a U.S. Congressman and Senator, and finally as Governor of the State of Maine. He was a Democrat until 1856, but was an opponent to slavery. He did not run with Lincoln in the second campaign in 1864, but did return to the U.S. Senate from 1869-1881. He served as Minister to Spain from 1881-82.

The 33rd state, Oregon, entered the Union on February 14th, 1859. The 33 star flag was official from 1859-1861, and was thus still the official flag when Ft. Sumter was fired upon, on April 12th of that year. This event marked the beginning of the Civil War and a 33 star flag was flying at Ft. Sumter during the attack. Because the 34th state, Kansas, had already acquired statehood on January 29th, 1861, flag makers knew that the 34 star flag would soon become official. For this reason, 33 star flags were not produced in great quantity for the war, which would last until 1865, and the 33 can be considered to be more of a pre-Civil war flag than a war-period flag. 33's are considerably more rare than 34 and 35 star examples.

Construction: The flag is printed on cotton muslin and there is a selvedge edge at top and bottom. A small portion of the wide hoist was turned back to create an open sleeve, inside which a cotton rope was sewn for the purpose of affixing the flag to a staff or some other object for display.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color, which was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. A length of white silk was placed behind the flag to strengthen its color against the black fabric, mask small areas of loss, and serve as a buffer between the flags and the background. The mount was then placed in an extraordinary gilded molding that dates to the period between 1920 and 1960. The front is u.v. protective acrylic.
Collector Level: Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 33
Earliest Date of Origin: 1860
Latest Date of Origin: 1860
State/Affiliation: Oregon
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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