Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  35 STARS, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD, 1863-1865, ENTIRELY HAND-SE

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 47" x 71.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 29.25" x 59.5"
Description....:
35 STARS, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD, 1863-1865, ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN:

Entirely hand-sewn, 35 star American national flag of the Civil War period. West Virginia was admitted into the Union as the 35th state on June 20th, 1863, a few days before the battle of Gettysburg. The 35th star was officially added on July 4th, and the flag was used during the closing years of the war. Production would have generally ceased one year later, however, with the addition of the 36th state.

Despite its appearance, the flag is unusually small for the period. In the 19th century, flags with sewn construction (as opposed to printed) were typically eight feet long or larger. This is because they were important in their function as signals, which required that they be seen and recognized from a great distance. A small flag was six feet in length and production of flags smaller than this was extremely limited. Five-foot examples, like this one, exist, though they are very scarce. Even infantry battle flags were approximately six by six-and-one-half feet, about the size of an average quilt of the same period. Because the average 19th century sewn flag is difficult to frame and display in an indoor setting, many collectors prefer printed parade flags and unusually small sewn flags, like this one.

The canton and stripes of the flag are made of hand-sewn, wool bunting. There is a hand-sewn, linen sleeve with great golden-brown coloration and two brass grommets for hoisting. The stars are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and single-appliqued. This means that they were applied to one side of the canton, then the blue fabric was cut from behind each star, folded over, and under-hemmed so that one appliqued star could be viewed on both sides of the flag. This type of stitching often results in stars that are more irregular in their appearance, with better folk qualities, and this flag is no exception. The hand-sewing is particularly attractive and gives the flag an earlier appearance than it would otherwise exhibit, making it an attractive choice for anyone with a specific interest in early American textiles. Most Civil War flags have at least some portion of machine stitching. This one does not, which places it in a minority among surviving examples.

Mounting: The flag was stitched to 100% silk taffeta on every seam behind the stripe area, for support. Because this silk is red in color, white silk was placed behind the white stripes to keep the red from showing through. Blue cotton of similar coloration was placed behind the canton for both support and masking purposes. The flag was then hand-sewn to a 100% cotton background, black in color. The black fabric was washed to remove excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. The mount was then placed in a black painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is u.v. protective plexiglas.

Condition: The flag's condition is remarkably good for the period, with only minor mothing and fabric loss.
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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