Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  32 STARS, AN ESPECIALLY RARE, PRE-CIVIL WAR STAR COUNT, ON A RARE, SMALL SCALE, HOMEMADE FLAG, WITH ITS CANTON RESTING ON THE WAR STRIPE, 1858-59, MINNESOTA STATEHOOD

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 32" x 49.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 21" x 38"
Description....:
32 STARS, AN ESPECIALLY RARE, PRE-CIVIL WAR STAR COUNT, ON A RARE, SMALL SCALE, HOMEMADE FLAG, WITH ITS CANTON RESTING ON THE WAR STRIPE, 1858-59, MINNESOTA STATEHOOD:

32 star American flags are rare. This is largely because they were only official for one year (1858-59), but it is also a result of the fact that this time frame occurred prior to the Civil War, in an era when use of the Stars & Stripes in the private sector fell somewhere between slim and non-existent.

The fact that the canton rests on a red stripe is a rare trait. Some flag historians refer to this as the "blood stripe" or the "war stripe", suggesting the flag was sometimes constructed in this manner when the nation was at war. There is evidence that the U.S. Navy used this design feature on at least some of its flags made during the mid-19th century, and in some cases, such as this one, the placement may have purely been by accident. Whatever the case may be, the war stripe feature is a scarce and interesting feature and is highly prized by flag collectors.

At 21 x 38 inches, this is a tiny scale for a flag with sewn construction that was produced before the 1890's. Of the very few 32 star flags that are presently known exist--no more than 10 or 15 at the very most--this is by far the smallest. Most are what one might call huge by modern standards, being 8 feet long or larger. Such sizes was common and practical for use as signals during the 19th century, but difficult to frame and display indoors. Large ship's ensigns are the most common occurrence among those I have seen. At least three small examples have surfaced with stars printed on a wool and cotton blended fabric, but none so small as this one with sewn stars.

This is a homemade flag, as opposed to one that was made in a commercial or cottage industry setting. The flag is one-sided, which means that it can be displayed either vertically or backwards-facing. Because the same flag ethics that exist today didn't develop until the last decade of the 19th century, this was every bit as correct as what we now think of as a "forwards" and ethical manner of display. Many homemade examples of the mid-19th century that are one-sided seem to be made in this fashion. Today the flag code states that the canton must always be in the upper left, whether the flag is displayed vertically or horizontally, so by turning this flag to the vertical position it is perfectly within code.

Minnesota joined the Union as the 32nd state on May 11th, 1858. The 32 star flag became official on July 4th of that year and remained so until July 3rd of 1859, but since Oregon joined the Union on February 14th (Valentines Day), 1859, production of 32 star flags probably ceased well before July.

Construction: The flag is entirely hand-sewn. The fabrics are a mix of wool and cotton. There is a cotton binding along the hoist with 3 hand-sewn, button-hole, whip-stitched grommets.

Mounting: The flag has been stitched to 100% natural fabrics for support on every seam and throughout the star field. The flag was then hand-sewn to background of 100% cotton, black in color, which has been washed to remove 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. The flag was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor to moderate foxing and staining throughout. there are a number of minor to moderate tears and holes. These were easily addressed during the mounting process, during which fabric of similar coloration was placed behind the flag for masking purposes and extra stitching was done as needed for support. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. The great rarity of this example warrants practically any condition.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 32
Earliest Date of Origin: 1858
Latest Date of Origin: 1859
State/Affiliation: Minnesota
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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