Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  33 STARS, PRE-CIVIL WAR, 1859-1861, ONE OF THREE KNOWN EXAMPLES IN THIS STYLE:

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 37.5" x 49.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 26.75" x 38.5"
Description....:
33 star American parade flag, printed on glazed cotton. This large and visually stunning flag is one of only three known to exist in this star count with this particular form of the medallion configuration. There is a cross of five stars in the center of two wreaths of stars, and only two flanking stars outside the pattern, at the fly end, instead of the usual four (one in each corner). The indigo blue of the canton and tomato red of the stripes are strong and attractive and the variation in the size, shape, and position of the stars adds great folk qualities. Of the other two known parade flags like this one, the first is in a private collection and is in a very poor state of preservation. The other, also privately owned, was formerly part of the collection of Boleslaw and Marie D'Ostrange-Mastai. The Mastai's held one of the most important private collections of American flags in the country, and their book The Stars and the Stripes (1973), was long considered the bible of flag collecting. The flag was not pictured in the Mastai text, but was a part of their large, undocumented holdings. 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, the 34 star flag was to become official on July 4th. For this reason, 33 star flags were not generally not produced for the war, which would last until 1865, and 33 star flags were generally made pre-war. 33's are thus far and away more rare than their 34 and 35 star examples, as well as some 36 star flags made before they became official, which would carry the nation to the war's end. 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 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 fly from carriages and horses. Places of business rarely hung flags in their windows. Some of these uses for started to take place during the patriotism that surrounded the Civil War, but civilian use of the flag was not wide spread until 1876. Even the military did not use the flag in a manner that most people might think. The primary purpose before the Civil War was to mark ships on the open seas. While the flag was used to mark some garrisons, the flags of ground troops were often limited to the flag of their own regiment and a Federal standard. Most people would be surprised to learn that ground forces were not authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes until the 1830's, and even then did not often exercise the right because it was neither required nor customary. It was not until the Civil War took place that most U.S. ground forces carried the national flag. Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color. The cotton has been washed to remove excess dye. The fabric was also heat-treated and an acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye. The flag was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is u.v. protective plexiglas. Condition: Excellent with respect to both age and rarity. Very strong color. Minor staining, foxing, dye loss, and holes. A small bit of the tomato red dye of the stripes adhered to an area of the canton. Because this is unusual, it actually adds some interest to the crude nature of the printing in this early period.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 33
Earliest Date of Origin: 1859
Latest Date of Origin: 1861
State/Affiliation: Oregon
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: No
 

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