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  LINCOLN & HAMLIN CAMPAIGN PARADE FLAG, 1860 ELECTION, 33 STARS IN A RARE VARIATION ON A KNOWN TYPE OF STARBURST MEDALLION, THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE IN THIS STYLE

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 17.25" x 21.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 8.5" x 12.5"
Description....:
LINCOLN & HAMLIN CAMPAIGN PARADE FLAG, 1860 ELECTION, 33 STARS IN A RARE VARIATION ON A KNOWN TYPE OF STARBURST MEDALLION, THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE IN THIS STYLE:

33 star American parade flag, printed on glazed cotton, and made for the 1860 campaign of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin. Many people don't realize 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.

Among printed parade flags, those made for the political campaign of President Lincoln are, collectively, the most desired. The canton of this particular flag exhibits an unusual starburst medallion configuration. It is important to note that there is a version of this same exact flag that has three, neatly organized, consecutive wreaths of small stars, which line up to create a secondary, starburst pattern. This is a strange variation on that same flag. It looks the same at a casual glance, having the same large center star, and large star in each corner. But on close inspection, the position of the small stars is very different. There are gaps in the wreaths of this flag that are not present in the other, and the wreaths of this flag are very irregular in shape, where the other is carefully coordinated. Further, the wreaths in each flag contain different numbers of stars, even though the total star count is the same (33). The two flags are the same size, have the same color and texture, and are made from the same fabric. And their text is identical. It thus stands to reason that there were at least two different printings of this flag by the same maker, for the same campaign, and that the print block was adjusted for the second run to clean up the star pattern. An example of the similar style flag is documented in "Threads of History: Americana Recorded on Cloth, 1775 to the Present", by Herbert Ridgeway Collins, Smithsonian Press, 1979 (item 290, pg. 156). This is the best text on American political textiles. Collins formerly served as Curator of Political History at the Smithsonian Institution.

Only one variety of 33 star parade flag is seen with any frequency, and even that version is scarce. This one is exceptionally rare. Add to this the bold printing of:

F0R PRESIDENT, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT, HANNIBAL HAMLIN.

and what results is one of the best parade flags of the pre-Civil War era.

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 far less common than 34 and 35 star examples.

Flags made prior to the Civil War are extremely rare, comprising less than one percent of 19th century flags that exist in the 21st century. This is partly because, prior to the 1876 Centennial, our flag was simply not used for most of the same purposes we employ it in today. Private individuals did not typically display the flag in their yards and on their porches. Parade flags did not often fly from carriages and horses. Places of business rarely hung flags in their windows. Use of the Stars and Stripes for these purposes began to rise swiftly during the patriotism that surrounded the Civil War (1861-65), but civilian use of the flag was not widespread until 1876.

Brief Biography of Hannibal Hamlin: Hannibal Hamlin, our nation's first Republican vice president, was born in Maine in 1809. Hew was an attorney who, in his political career prior to the White House, served as Chairman of the Maine State House of Representatives and as a U.S. Congressman and Senator, before becoming 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 and served as Minister to Spain from 1881-82.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color. The cotton was washed to remove excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the day and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. The flag was then placed in a gilded frame that dates to the 1830-1870 period. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.

Condition: There is minor to moderate foxing and staining and minor holes. The flag's rarity and desirability warrants almost any condition.
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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