Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  14 STARS, 1876, A RARE EXAMPLE, POSSIBLE VERMONT ASSOCIATION

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 10.75" x 14.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 4.75" x 8"
Description....:
14 STARS, 1876, A RARE EXAMPLE, POSSIBLE VERMONT ASSOCIATION:

14 star American national parade flag, printed on cotton. The stars are arranged in a medallion configuration that consists of a wreath of 9 stars, surrounding a single, center star, with flanking stars in each corner. The canton is an appealing shade of soldier blue, and the stars are particularly nice.

While the flag may have been intentionally made with 14 stars to commemorate Vermont, which became the 14th state in 1792, it may also have simply been made by accident with an additional star, with a count of 13 having been the intended number, used to reflect the 13 original colonies. In either event, 14 star flags are rare and all early flags in this star count are desirable to flag collectors and enthusiasts.

Parade flags were printed on bolts like any other fabric. This flag was found as part of an uncut sheet, being used as batting inside a quilt that was made for the 100-year anniversary of our nation's independence in 1876. The quilt experienced enough damage to reveal that there was an uncut bolt of parade flags inside it, being used simply as filler. Most of the flags received little to no damage, protected by the outside fabric. Their condition is, in fact, as near to perfect as can be seen in this period. This is the only group of these flags that I have ever seen come available for sale.

The flags look so new that I would question their authenticity if I wasn't familiar with the variety. I have seen these exact flags used in the piecework design of three other centennial quilts. It is interesting to note that a group of 37 star, medallion pattern flags was found with these 14 star examples, certainly made by the same manufacturer, and that these 37 star flags appear alongside the 14 star flags in all three quilts. It is likely that both designs were printed on the same bolt of fabric with alternating placement, as was the fashion with some varieties of parade flags. While it seems likely that the 14 star flags had the incorrect star count and were supposed to have had 13 stars, it is also surprising that the maker of the flags didn't add a 38th star to the 37 star design, because that is what almost every other flag-maker did in 1876 to reflect the upcoming addition of Colorado, which joined the Union in that year. This followed a period of more than 8 years without a new state, a fact that cause flag-makers to add a star with hopes of giving the public yet another reason to buy new flags in the year of the centennial celebration.

Mounting: The flag has been stitched to 100% cotton rag mat board, and placed in an unusual, solid walnut frame with a convex profile that dates to the period between 1840 and 1860. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.

Condition: Excellent.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 14
Earliest Date of Origin: 1875
Latest Date of Origin: 1876
State/Affiliation: Vermont
War Association: 1866-1889 Indian Wars
Price: SOLD
 

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