Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  13 STARS, RARE OVAL CONFIGURATION WITH ROW OF 3 STARS IN THE CENTER, 1846-1865

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): (would be approx, 66" x 98")
Flag Size (H x L): 56" x 88"
Description....:
13 STARS, RARE OVAL CONFIGURATION WITH A ROW OF THREE STARS IN THE CENTER, MEXICAN WAR - CIVIL WAR (1846-1865): 13 star American national flag, made sometime in the period between the Mexican War (1846-48) and the Civil War (1861-65). 13 star flags that pre-date the Civil War can sometimes be identified by a combination of two key factors: a pattern of stars that is atypical of those seen during and after the war period and?more obviously?construction with materials that pre-date the war. The very odd star configuration of this flag certainly falls into the proper category for a pre-Civil War example. Further, the flag may be the only one like it to exist. There are three stars in a horizontal row in the center of the canton, with arches of five stars above and below. Note how the placement of the stars is everything but precise, adding to its great folk qualities and visual impact. The stripes and canton of the flag are made of wool bunting that is entirely hand-sewn, while its stars and hand-sewn, cotton, and single-appliqued This means that they are applied to one-side of the flag, a cut-out is made behind each star. The blue wool is then turned under and hemmed so that one star can be seen on both sides of the flag. There is a hand-sewn hoist made of heavy, twill-weave cotton. This is an open sleeve, made so that a rope could be slipped through, but brass grommets were affixed at the extreme top and bottom. In my experience, the practice of adding grommets to a flag that already had a means of hoisting was almost never undertaken, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Some military dealers and collectors have long believed that grommets were not used on flags during the Civil War. This assumption is false. I have owned and seen more Civil War flags with brass grommets than I could possibly recall. The first patent for grommets was obtained by E.H. Penfield in 1848. In addition, Penfield?s specifications were simply an improvement to existing grommet designs, so even his were not the first. Another patent was taken by J. Allender in 1854, and three more patents were taken before 1870. It is true that grommets are seldom seen in flags made prior to the Civil War, but their presence in pre-war flags is not entirely unexpected. In addition, these grommets were placed so that they actually overlap the edge of the open sleeve, sealing it at either end. I have never seen this precise placement before. It is obvious that the person who added them was intending to secure the edges of the fabric so that they need not be hemmed. Written along the sleeve in a dip pen are the letters ?G.H.M.? This gives no indication of age, but is simply the initials of a former owner. The fabric used in the stripes and the canton, in particular, can be another key way to identify age. In this example, however, the wool bunting is of a weave seen in flags made throughout the 1848-1865 period, and possibly a few years earlier. So few wool flag exist with fewer than 30 stars (pre-1848) that comparisons can not be drawn. Almost no period wool flags exist in star counts of 29, 28, and 27, but the few wool flags that are known in the 26 star count (1837-1845) are made of a very different variety of bunting. Because the fabric and construction are consistent with both pre and post-war flags, the dating falls mostly to the configuration of the stars. This oval pattern is not consistent with 13 star flags made during wartime and, in itself, becomes enough reason to conclude that the flag is not only a boldly visual design, but a rare, pre-Civil War example. This is important because fewer than one percent of 19th century flags that exist today fall into this early date bracket. Call for further details.
Collector Level:
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 13
Earliest Date of Origin: 1846
Latest Date of Origin: 1865
State/Affiliation: 13 Original Colonies
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: No
 

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