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  36 STARS, MADE IN 1864 IN NEW YORK CITY, AN EXTRAORDINARY, ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN SILK FLAG WITH SINGLE-APPLIQUED STARS, CIVIL WAR ERA, 1864-67

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 49" x 71.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 35.5" x 58"
Description....:
36 STARS, MADE IN 1864 IN NEW YORK CITY, AN EXTRAORDINARY, ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN SILK FLAG WITH SINGLE-APPLIQUED STARS, CIVIL WAR ERA, 1864-67:

36 star American national flag of the Civil War period, made of silk and entirely hand-sewn with great precision. Accompanying the flag was a note, written on parchment that was affixed to a length of waxed cotton. The flag is so incredibly well preserved because it was stored rolled up in this fabric, which is probably war-period, possibly slightly later, but definitely 19th century.

The note is written in red ballpoint pen and likely dates to the 1940's. It reads:

"This flag was made in 1864 in New York City by Susan Dayton Maclay, Grandmother of Helen Maclay Burt of Palermo, California."

It was probably written by Helen Burt around the time that the flag was handed down to her by her mother or grandmother.

The hand-sewing in this flag is some of the finest that can be seen in early flag-making. The colors are very bold. The silk construction is rare in 36 star flags, but not nearly as rare as the sewing of the stars, which are single-appliqued. This means that they were applied to one side of the canton, then the blue fabric was cut from behind each star, folded over, and under-hemmed, so that one appliqued star could be visible on both sides of the flag. Single appliqueing was common in the Civil War period, but not on silk flags, which primarily had gilt-painted stars. Single applique work required an extraordinary level of skill on silk. The seams are tiny and demanded great patience.

It is possible that the flag may have been made to celebrate victory at Richmond in 1864, the major Union turning point that secured Lincoln's subsequent reelection in November of that year. But whatever the purpose, its condition and construction are extraordinary. Silk in this period was typically weighted with mineral salts and other agents that caused it to degrade. This silk does not appear to be weighted and is in a state of preservation that equals or surpasses everything I have ever seen in silk of the period. If the textile had not been rolled in waxed cotton, it most certainly would not have survived in such a state.

The flag has no sleeve along the hoist and probably never had one. Many silk flags like this were simply nailed to a staff at many points with small upholstery tacks. At some point in its life, however, satin silk ties were added for easier hoisting.

All-in-all, a beautiful example of a homemade Civil War era flag with great, saturated colors and in excellent condition, made by an indentified woman in New York City.

The 36th state, Nevada, entered the Union during the Civil War on October 31st, 1864. The last Confederate general surrendered on May 26th, 1865. The 36 star flag became official on July 4th of that year, but makers of printed flags would have begun adding a 36th star to their flags in 1864, even before the addition of the new state occurred. Lincoln pushed Nevada through just 8 days before the November election to increase his support. While the population of the state was quite small, it was a free state and its political alignment was generally Republican. The 36 star flag was replaced by the 37 star flag in 1867, with the addition of Nebraska.

Mounting: This is a sandwich mount between 100% cotton and u.v. protective acrylic. The black background fabric was 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 contemporary Italian molding is black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed.

Condition: This is an exceptional state of preservation for a silk flag of the Civil War era. There is a moderate, rectangular stain in the extreme bottom corner of the hoist end, accompanied by a few minor water stains. Overall the condition is extraordinary for the period.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 36
Earliest Date of Origin: 1864
Latest Date of Origin: 1864
State/Affiliation: New York
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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