| 37 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG, ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN THROUGHOUT, WITH JUSTIFIED ROWS OF SINGLE-APPLIQUED STARS, MADE & SIGNED BY THE ANNIN COMPANY IN NEW YORK CITY, WITH SIGNIFICANT WEAR FROM EXTENDED USE; REFLECTS THE ERA WHEN NEBRASKA WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, 1867-1876 |
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| Web ID: | 37j-855 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 65" x 108" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 53" x 96" |
| Description: | |
| 37 star antique American flag with justified rows of stars in counts of 7-8-7-8-7, made and signed by the Annin Company of New York City. Entirely hand-sewn throughout, the canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting. The stars are made of cotton and are single-appliquéd. This means that they were applied to one side only, then a cut out was made on the reverse and the fabric carefully and expertly under-hemmed, so that one star could be seen on both sides. I always find single-appliquéd stars more desirable, not only because they are evidence of a more difficult level of seam-work and stitching, but also because they are more visually intriguing. Both the sewing itself and stretching of the fabrics over time result in stars that tend to display more irregular shapes than those that are individually applied to both sides. All of the stars are arranged with one point directed upward. There is a twill cotton binding along the hoist with two brass grommets, one each at the extreme top and bottom. Along this, on the obverse, near the top, a blank-inked stencil reads “Annin & Co NY,” followed by “8” and “X.” The latter of these denotes the length of the flag on the fly in feet. Nebraska joined the Union as the 37th state on March 1st, 1867, shortly following Lincoln’s death and the close of the Civil War. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were to be added on Independence Day for any new states that had been added throughout the preceding "flag year." The 37 star flag thus became official on July 4th, 1867 and remained so until July 3rd, 1877. Flag-makers cared little for official star counts. Preferring what made most practical sense, stars were typically added as soon as a new state was in, if not even sometimes even beforehand, in hopeful anticipation. Because Colorado gained statehood on August 1st, 1876, and nearly everyone seems to have presumed it was coming, flag-makers generally produced 38 star flags for the celebration of our nation's 100-year anniversary of independence, that took place in that year. Some flag-makers actually elected to make 39 star flags, adding two stars instead of one, in hopeful anticipation that the Dakota Territory would also gain statehood, though this would not occur for another 13 years, when the Dakotas arrived as two separate states. 13 star flags were also prevalent in the year of our nation's centennial, to reflect the original 13 colonies. Due primarily to the lack of major patriotic events during the period in which they were generally used, the 37 star-count is fairly scarce when compared to the flags that immediately preceded and followed it. Annin is our nation's eldest flag-maker that is still in business today. The company was founded in the 1820's on the New York waterfront, incorporated in 1847, and though it opened a large manufacturing operation in Verona, New Jersey in 1916, maintained its head office and some production in Manhattan until 1960. This is an early Annin mark, of the sort that begins to appear in the mid-1860's. Because the earliest American national flags that I have identified with the full star count (as opposed to having 13 stars or an exclusionary number), that have Annin stencils, appear in the 36 star count (1864-67), this 37 star Annin flag is among the earliest signed examples. Although the precise use of the flag is unknown, it was a common size among others of the 19th century, made for extended outdoor use, and its fabrics are precisely what one would expect for this function. This would have been an ideal size for a small to mid-sized building or a small boat. Annin had a long history of providing flags of all types to military units and governmental purposes. While some sources that record makers of military goods lack reference to specific military contracts with Annin, their Wikipedia entry might explain why. The narrative states: "…the U.S. Signal Corps requisitioned all its wartime flags from Annin Flagmakers for the Civil War. An undated newspaper article in Annin's 1860's archives states: "Without going through forms of contract, Annin supplied the government direct." "…As the war progressed, orders came pouring in from every state and city that was loyal to the Union, so that by the beginning of 1864, there was not a single battlefield, a brigade or a division that did not use Annin flags." Though the flag bears no specific history beyond that of the maker’s signature, losses occurring largely within the striped field, including significant loss along the top of the first stripe, display ample and rather endearing evidence of long-term exposure to wind and the elements. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed molding is Italian. The background fabric is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: In addition to the significant fabric loss from wind shear in the first stripe, there is moderate to significant loss elsewhere along the fly end. There is moderate to significant staining along the 1st and 4th red stripes, accompanied by minor to modest soiling and water staining elsewhere in the striped field and minor bleaching along the lower edge of the canton, as well as in the 5th and last white stripes. There is some soiling along the hoist binding and there is some uneven fading in the blue canton. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | 37 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1867 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1876 |
| State/Affiliation: | Nebraska |
| War Association: | |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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