| 13 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A 3-2-3-2-3 CONFIGURATION AND AN INK-STAMPED MARK OF THE NEW ENGLAND DECORATING COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS, WITH HAND-SEWN, TWILL TAPE TIES, MADE IN THE LAST DECADE OF THE 19TH CENTURY, circa 1892-1899 |
|
| Web ID: | 13j-1738 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 41" x 62.75" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 29.25" x 47.25" |
| Description: | |
| 13 Star antique American flag, of a small scale type generally produced by commercial flag-makers between roughly 1890 and the 1920’s. Made circa 1892-1899, the canton and stripes of this particular example are made of wool bunting, that has been pieced and joined by lineal, machine stitching. The stars are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides), likewise with a lineal, machine stitch. These are arranged in staggered rows of 3-2-3-2-3. Because there was no official star design for the American flag until 1912, the star pattern was left to the whims of the maker. The 3-2-3-2-3 pattern became the most often seen configuration during the latter part of the 19th century, and remained so throughout the first quarter of the 20th. In most cases, the arrangement can also be viewed as a diamond of stars, with a star in each corner, and a star in the very center. It is of interest to note that it can also be interpreted as a combination of the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George, which may reflect a link between this pattern and the British Union Jack. The 3-2-3-2-3 configuration is often attributed--erroneously in my opinion--to New Jersey Senator Francis Hopkinson, a member of the Second Continental Congress and of the Marine Committee, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hopkinson is generally credited with having played the most significant role in the design of the American national flag, prior to its June 14th, 1777 adoption. As an amateur artist and an enthusiast in heraldry, Hopkinson designed various devices in Colonial America, including both the Great Seal of the Treasury and various pieces of colonial currency. He also submitted two designs, for consideration by Congress, when selecting the Great Seal of the United States. Although Hopkinson’s original sketches for the American flag do not survive, his depictions of 13 star arrangements on other devices do not reflect the 3-2-3-2-3 configuration falsely attributed to him. This seems to have developed from someone’s unsuccessful attempt to make sense of those that he presented on both of his proposed Great Seal submissions, in which the stars were decidedly random—likely with the intent of giving precedence to none over the others, nor to any particular group of stars. There is a sailcloth canvas binding along the hoist, with two white metal grommets, along which, near the top, are stenciled numerals that read: “4 2 ½” [4 x 2 ½], to indicate size in feet. This is likewise penciled below. On the reverse is a block-printed maker’s mark, likely applied by way of metal dies, that reads: The latter reads: “Property of New England Decorating Co., Wash. St., Boston, Mass.” Each of the above is rendered in black paint. Three sets of ties made of red, knit, woolen tape/ribbon, of the sort appropriate for binding the edges of blankets, pillows, or clothing, were hand-stitched along the hoist. These would have allowed the flag to be easily affixed to a staff, or perhaps a podium, in an attractive, decorative fashion. Presented here in a 3-dimensional, folded fashion, note how these add a whimsical element of movement and folk quality to the overall presentation. The application of the stars, in conjunction with the size of the flag, its fabrics, star count, and markings, together point to the 1890’s. Why 13 Stars? As the number of stars grew with the addition of new states, it became more and more difficult to fit their full complement on a small flag. The stars would, by necessity, have to become smaller, which made it more and more difficult to view them from a distance as individual objects. The fear was that too many stars would become one white mass and distort the ability to identify American ships on the open seas. The U.S. Navy used 13 stars on its small-scale flags for precisely this reason. This was, of course, the original number of stars on the first American national flag, by way of the First Flag Act of 1777, and equal to the number of original colonies that became states. For all practical purposes, commercial flag-makers simply didn't produce flags with pieced-and-sewn construction that were 3 to 4 feet in length before the 1890's. There are exceptions to this rule, but until this time, the smallest sewn flags were generally around 6 feet on the fly. Lengths of 8 feet long and larger were common. Their primary use long having been more utilitarian than decorative, to serve well as signals, flags needed to be large to be effective. Pre-1890, even those sewn flags made for general patriotic display were typically way larger than their modern counterparts. While most early use of flags with sewn construction was to mark ships and government buildings, eventually spreading to local militia and to formal U.S. & state military companies, private use grew with the passage of time, raising the need for long-term use flags of a more manageable scale. Beginning around 1890, commercial flag-makers began to produce small flags for the first time in large quantities, namely with dimensions of 2 x 3 feet, like this example, or 2.5 x 4 feet. Applying the same logic as the U.S. Navy, they chose the 13 star count rather than the full complement of stars for sake of ease and visibility. Because any flag that has previously been official remains so according to the flag acts of Congress, all 13 star, 13 stripe flags remain official national flags of the United States of America. The 13 star count has been used throughout our nation's history for a variety of purposes. In addition to being flown by the Navy, 13 star flags were hoisted at patriotic events, including Lafayette’s visit in 1824-25, the celebration of the nation's centennial in 1876, and the sesquicentennial in 1926, as well as for annual 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. 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. Brief History New England Decorating Company Though the name or names of the founder(s) are presently unknown, the New England Decorating Company opened in Boston’s garment district in 1892. One of its earliest locations, if not its first, was on Washington Street, a fitting address for this supplier of patriotic buntings, banners, flags, and other regalia, that outfitted towns and events. Many of these were usually done by way of rentals and temporary installations. By the mid-20th century, the firm had been renamed New England Flag & Banner Company, and was acquired and run by the Moore family. It still survives today, now located in suburban Boston, in the town of Woburn. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained our own textile conservation department, led by expert staff. 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, serpentine profile, is Italian. This we extended into a shadowbox on the reverse, in order to accommodate the depth required for the 3-dimensional folding of the ties. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to inquire for more details. Condition: There is a moderate tear along the top edge of the first stripe, near the fly end, with associated loss. There are two significant areas with lateral tears, one in the 2nd red stripe, adjacent to the canton, and the other in the 6th red stripe, in the same reason, extending beneath the canton. Fabric of similar coloration was placed behind these areas, during the mounting process, for masking purposes. There are very minor holes and instances of loss elsewhere throughout the canton and stripes. There is modest to moderate fading in the 2nd – 7th red stripes, in the first 3/5 of the red stripes, as well as in the red ties, and there is some discoloration / soiling in the white fabrics, the most significant of which occurs in the first star in the second row. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. |
|
| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | 13 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1892 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1899 |
| State/Affiliation: | Massachusetts |
| War Association: | 1898 Spanish American War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
 |
|
