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  35 STARS, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, 1863-65, SIGNED "J.H. CRANE", CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): n/a
Flag Size (H x L): 66.5" x 114"
Description....:
35 STARS, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, 1863-1865, SIGNED "J.H. CRANE", CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, SCATTERED STAR POSITIONING:

35 Star American national flag with a brilliant, cornflower blue canton. Note how the stars, placed in haphazard rows, point in various directions on their vertical axis, which adds strong folk quality to the visual design. This is a beautiful, homemade example, either made for use during the recruitment of soldiers or for some other patriotic purpose.

Along the binding, at the fly end, on the first white stripe, is a period ink stamp that appears to reads: "J.H. Crane". Such markings are often found on 19th century flags, written, stamped, or embroidered, to represent ownership. Six Union Army soldiers would fit those initials. It is likely that one of the men owned this flag, but a specific attribution is not known.

West Virginia was admitted into the Union as the 35th state on June 20th, 1863, marking its separation from Virginia in the midst of the Civil War. Though it was a non-slave state, its population was predominantly sympathetic to the Southern cause and many of its residents fought for the Confederacy. The 35 star flag was used during the closing years of the Civil War. Although 35 remained the official star count until July 4th, 1865, most flag makers would have added a 36th star after the addition of Nevada on October 31st, 1864. This means that 35 star flags were realistically produced for less than a year and a half. Most flags produced for the war actually had 34 stars (1861-63), because extra flags were made during this time to create ample supply of replacements. So production was heavy after the war broke out, when the need for flags sharply escalated and the supply of available materials was greater, then tapered off until the war's close. This is why 35 star flags are significantly scarcer than their 34 star counterparts, with an approximately 3-1 or 4-1 ratio between the number of surviving 34 star flags vs. 35 star flags. Flags with 36 stars are also more common than 35 star flags, because the 36 star flag was used to celebrate Union victory and 36 remained the official star count until July of 1867, more than two years hence.

Notes Concerning J.H. Crane
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Following are the six soldiers with this name and initials who are recorded as having served the Union Army:

John H. Crane, 78th OH Inf., Co. F
enlisted 12/25/61 at the rank of Corporal at age 18

John H. Crane, 126th NY Inf., Co. F
enlisted 08/12/62 in Tyre, NY at the rank of Private at age 23

John H. Crane, 13 NY Inf., Co. A
enlisted 04/25/61 in Rochester at the rank of Private at age 22

John H. Crane, 9th IA Inf., Co. A
resident of South Fork, IA, enlisted 02/18/64 as a Private at age 18

Joseph H Crane, 35th OH Inf., Co. D
enlisted 08/26/61 as a Private at age 19

Joseph H Crane, 8th IN Cav., Co. K
enlisted 09/09/62 as a Private (age unknown)

Joseph H Crane, Union Cav. [previously 67th CT Inf., Co. B]
enlisted as a Private (date & residence unknown)

Construction: Made entirely of cotton, the flag is constructed with a mix of hand and treadle sewing. The stars are single-appliqued. This means that they were applied to one side of the flag, then cut-outs were made on the reverse and the blue fabric was hemmed so that one star can be viewed on both sides of the canton. The stars are treadle-sewn, which is a very rare trait for a flag made in this period. The sewing machine had been mass-marketed by Singer in 1855 and by the outbreak of the Civil War, just 6 years later, was used in the piecing of most stripes on American flags. But seamstresses still found it easier to hand-sew stars, not yet having mastered the skill of turning the fabric to applique them to the canton while pumping the treadle mechanism. Applique work is a far more skilled task than piece work for any seamstress. The level of difficulty was, at first, simply compounded by the attempt to use a sewing machine to complete it. In fact, machine-sewn stars are seldom seen on American flags until the 1890-1895 period. Flags exist with treadle-sewn stars in this period, but their presence is most unusual, representing a skill that few people had yet mastered. The presence of such sewing in a Civil War flag occurs in fewer than 1% of surviving examples.

Mounting: The flag has not yet been mounted. Condition: There is light oxidation throughout, accompanied by minor water staining on the second white stripe and at the fly end and very minor holes. The two pieces of white cotton at the fly end that are slightly different in color represent a different lot of white fabric. There is piecing within the stripes, especially at the fly end, both to make use of available fabric and to mend losses during its use. The flag was obviously flown for an extended period. Much of the 19th century repair and all of the original piecing within the stripes was done by hand with the sort of fine stitching that is reminiscent of the Civil War period.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 35
Earliest Date of Origin: 1863
Latest Date of Origin: 1865
State/Affiliation: West Virginia
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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