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  13 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH AN OVAL VERSION OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE 3RD MARYLAND PATTERN AND A UNIQUE, STENCILED MAKER’S MARK OF SHIP'S CHANDLER H. CHANNON, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, circa 1885-1895

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 36.5" x 58.75"
Flag Size (H x L): 24.75" x 47"
Description....:
13 Star antique American flag, made circa 1885-1895, with a beautiful presentation and a variety of rare and interesting traits. The stars are arranged in what is known as the 3rd Maryland pattern. This consists of a wreath of 12 stars, often circular, but in this case comprised of wide oval, surrounding a single center star. Note how the latter is a bit larger than those in the wreath, the somewhat crude formation of which lends its own degree of visual charm, as does the irregularity of the stars themselves, and the fact that they point in various directions on their vertical axis.

The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with treadle stitching. The stars are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with a lineal, treadle stitch. There is wide, twill cotton binding along the hoist, with two brass grommets. The blue filament woven into this fabric vertically allowed the maker to more easily clip it to the desired width. When I have been able to identify a maker of a flag with this scarce trait, it has been among the flags produced by ship’s chandlers, as-is the case here. Applied near the bottom of the binding, on the obverse (front) is an elaborate, black-inked stencil that reads: “Made by H. Channon Co.; 24 & 26 Market St.; Chicago, ILL.”

Not only is this a terrific maker’s mark, graphically appealing, informative, and unique in my experience, but it is the only Chicago mark that I have ever found on an early American flag that is definitely 19th century. In fact, the only others that fall within the realm of antique—probably made during the first quarter of the 20th century—bear marks from a maker with multiple locations, within which the possibility of identifying any particular one is not possible.

It’s important to also note that the number of 19th century flags with maker’s marks is infinitely small, comprising maybe 1% of what survives with pieced-and-sewn construction. Beyond Annin of New York, Horstmann of Philadelphia, and the U.S. Bunting Company of Lowell, Mass, almost no makers marked their flags and, when they did, even among these three, the practice of doing so was inconsistent. In many cases, signed flags from other firms are represented by just one example, or a scarce handful. Sometimes various traits and other markings make identification possible, but most of the time the maker of any give antique American flag is simply unknown. The presence of this particular stencil, in a basic style, with lots of text, apparently popular with a handful of other flag makers in the mid-late 19th century, includes an address for H. Channon Co. that it discontinued using prior to 1900.

A hand-inscribed name on the reverse of the binding appears to read “Whise.” This would be the name of a former owner, as it was common to mark flags in this fashion, during the 18th – early 20th centuries. Though I have not yet been able to tie the flag to a particular person by this surname, it is uncommon (likely a variant of Wyss). In the year 1880, there were 10 families by this name living in Illinois—the greatest concentration in America--and just two other states, New York and Louisiana, where they were present. A Hungarian-born physician by the name of Melchoir Whise arrived in the U.S. in 1889 and took up residence in Chicago. Melchoir was the only male head of household I found in the state, in the expected period, that was likely to have possessed the flag. I have traced many flags to physician ownership, perhaps because wealth begot boats, as well as other locations to fly flags, and reasons to have been gifted them, perhaps after saving someone’s life, for volunteer service, or as an award for philanthropy.

The combination of the stitching of the stars, the uncommon star pattern, and the stencil, more indicative of the mid-19th century than the latter, suggest that the flag was made during the opening of the 1890’s or just prior. One very likely possibility for its manufacture would be for patriotic display at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, a.k.a., the Chicago World’s Fair, held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the landing of Christopher Columbus, in 1892. The opening of the World Columbian Expo was delayed until 1893, due to the extensive demands of its construction. Lasting for six months, from May 1st to October 30th, the extravaganza covered more than 600 acres and featured just under 200 buildings, at the center of which was a huge, manmade lake that was included to represent Columbus's crossing of the Atlantic. 46 nations participated and more than 27 million people attended. The scale and grandeur of the World Columbia Expo far exceeded the other world's fairs and became an icon of the emerging notion of American exceptionalism.

13 star flags have been flown throughout our nation’s history for a variety of purposes, both practical and utilitarian. The U.S. Navy flew 13 star flags not only in the Revolutionary and early Federal periods, following the First Flag Act of June 14th, 1777, but throughout much or all of the 19th century, particularly the second half. As the total number of states increased, and subsequently the number of stars on our nation’s flag, the Navy often maintained various counts, lower than the actual, especially on smaller flags, to ensure that the stars themselves would be easier to discern at a distance. Primarily these “small boat ensigns,” as they are called, displayed 13 stars to reflect the original 13 colonies. Flag experts disagree about precisely when the Navy began to employ this practice. Some feel that the use of 13 star flags never stopped, which seems to be supported by depictions of ships in period artwork. Less consistent prior to the Civil War, but more-so afterwards, the tradition continued until 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson wrote an Executive Order that ended the Navy’s use of 13 star flags in favor of small flags in the full star count.

13 star flags were hoisted at all manner of patriotic events, including Lafayette’s return visit and tour of America in 1824-25, the 1876 centennial of American independence, and celebrations of Independence Day. They were displayed during the Civil War, to reference past struggles for American liberty, and were used by 19th century politicians in political campaigning for the same reason. The use of yachting ensigns with a wreath of 13 stars, surrounding a fouled anchor, which allowed pleasure boats to bypass customs between 1848 and 1980, persists today without an official purpose. Because any American flag that has previously been official remains so according to the flag acts, it remains perfectly acceptable to fly 13 star flags today by way of congressional law.

In addition to their use on U.S. Navy ships, some private ships flew 13 star examples throughout the 19th century. Prior to the last decade of the 19th century, flags with sewn construction (as opposed to printed) were typically 8 feet long and larger. A 6-footer was considered small, even for the Navy, which, like the Army, employed flags up to around 35 feet, sometimes greater, for their largest ships and garrisons. The primary use had long been more utilitarian than decorative, and flags needed to be large to be effective as signals. Private use grew with the passage of time, however, which led to the need for long-term use flags of more manageable scale. Beginning around 1890, commercial makers began to produce small flags for the first time in significant quantity, namely with measurements of either 2x3 feet or 2.5 x 4 feet. When they did, they chose the 13 star count, mirroring Navy practice. This continued until at least the 1920’s.

Because there was no official star pattern until 1912, prior to the 48 star flag, the design was left to the liberties of the maker. Around 70% of these small 13 star flags displayed them in staggered rows of 3-2-3-2-3. Around 25% arranged them in what we call a medallion pattern, with a single star in the center, surrounded by a wreath of eight stars, with a single star in each corner of the blue canton. The remainder, like the flag that is the subject of this narrative, present them in some other design.

The 3rd Maryland pattern is desirable due to both its visual attractiveness and the scarcity of its use, especially in an oval variant, like is displayed here. The name comes from a flag that resides at the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis, long thought to have been present with General Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781 with the 3rd Maryland Regiment. According to legend, the flag was supposed to have been carried by Color Sergeant William Batchelor of the Maryland Light Infantry and was donated to the State of Maryland by Batchelor's descendants. The story was disproved in the 1970's, however, following an examination by the late flag expert Grace Rogers Cooper of the Smithsonian, who proved that the flag was no earlier than the 1840’s.

Despite the lack of direct association with the reputed regiment, many flag collectors and enthusiasts embraced the name "3rd Maryland" and it stuck to the design. The term actually received some legitimacy through the existence of a similar flag, in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of History & Technology, with verified Maryland provenance. This was carried by the Maryland and District of Columbia Battalion of Volunteers during the Mexican War. While the configuration is known to be an early one, as evidenced by 18th century illustrations, this star pattern is most often encountered among surviving flags that date to the mid-19th century, roughly within the Mexican War to Civil War time frame (1846-1865). For some reason it seems to have not been quite as popular thereafter.

Brief History of H. Channon Co.:
Henry Channon was born in Bridgewater, England, in 1834. According to his obituary in the Chicago Tribune of May 7th, 1923, “he left his home when a small boy to follow the sea, Sailing over every part of the globe. Coming to Chicago in 1863, he started a small ship chandlery. But it was not until 1875, after losing everything in the great Chicago fire, that he founded the H. Channon company of Chicago. He remained president of the company until 1919, when he cut his interests.”

Channon opened his ship chandlery business at 24 & 26 Market St., where it remained for around a quarter century, possibly longer. Over the years the firm pursued all sorts of related business ventures. Primarily serving the steamship and railroad industries, it manufactured, bought, sold, retailed, wholesaled, and in all ways outfitted whomever required goods Channon felt he could supply, selling everything from flags and anything a ship might need, to large machinery and tools, to children’s tents. Trading of rope and wire rope was a significant focus.

The last references to this address that I could locate appeared on an 1895 postmarked advertising cover (small envelope), and in an 1898 newspaper notating #24 as the address Henry’s son, James H. Channon, who worked for the firm. In almost all instances from June of 1900 (newspaper mention) onward, until around 1939-1940, the primary address appears as simply the “Corner of Market & Randolph,” devoid of street numbers. The “Corner of Market & Randolph” address is listed in the Chicago City Directory for 1902, which also documents a new address of 28 Market Street for individual members of management. The latter location also appears in a 1906 advertisement, where it is identified as the firm’s “Canvas Goods Department.” Whether or not these were actually new locations remains unknown. Though I found one reference to a street address at 150 Market Street, address changes for the City of Chicago in both 1909 (appears to be primarily residential) and 1911 (appears to be primarily business) make it extremely difficult to decipher whether all of these may have simply been one location. Although there are various published records of the reassignments, it’s unclear precisely how or if this portion of Market Street was affected.

It is also unclear as to when H. Channon closed its doors. Absorbing various firms over time, in October of 1939 it appears to have merged with 3 or 4 others, or at least moved into shared space. In 1940 the company address was listed at “E. No. Water Street, Chicago.”

Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained our own textile conservation department, led by a master’s degree level graduate from one of the nation’s top university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples.

The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% silk organza for support throughout. It was then hand-stitched to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color, that was washed and treated for colorfastness. The black-painted and gilded molding, with its wide, shaped profile, is Italian. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas).

Condition: There are minor losses throughout, accompanied by modest loss in one of the stars. There is moderate soiling on another of the stars, with minor to modest of the same elsewhere in the white stars and binding. There are minor stitched repairs. The flag presents beautifully. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 13
Earliest Date of Origin: 1885
Latest Date of Origin: 1895
State/Affiliation: Illinois
War Association:
Price: SOLD
 

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