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  38 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH HAND-SEWN STARS IN AN 8-7-8-7-8 PATTERN OF JUSTIFIED ROWS, MADE IN THE PERIOD WHEN COLORADO WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, 1876-1889

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 58" x 83"
Flag Size (H x L): 46" x 71"
Description....:
38 star American national flag, made in the period when Colorado was the most recent state to join the Union, with hand-sewn stars arranged in justified lineal rows in counts of 8-7-8-7-8. Oriented in an upright position throughout on their vertical axis (i.e., with one point up), the stars are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) of the blue canton. The stripes and canton of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with treadle stitching, typical of the period. There is a twill cotton binding along the hoist, with two brass grommets. The colors are strong and the flag presents beautifully.

Colorado became the 38th state on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation’s 100-year anniversary of independence. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added until the 4th of July following a state's addition. For this reason, 37 remained the official star count until July 4th, 1877. Flag-making was a competitive venture, however, and no one cared what was official. As soon as it was suspected that a new state was coming, stars were added by the makers of flags, both public and private. Some would have begun adding a star for the 38th state before it even entered the Union, in the early part of 1876. Almost no makers continued to produce 37 star flags, when their competitors were making 38’s. It is for this reason that flags with 38 and 13 stars, to reflect the original 13 colonies, are most frequently encountered at the Centennial International Exposition, the six-month long World’s Fair, held in Philadelphia, which served as the nucleus of the national celebration.

It is of interest to note that many makers of printed parade flags were actually producing 39 star examples in that same year, in hopeful anticipation of the addition of two more Western Territories instead of just one. The 39th state would not join the Union for another 13 years, however, when the Dakota Territory, thought to be entering as a single state, instead entered as two separate states (numbers 39 and 40) on the same day, November 2nd, 1889.

Mounting: The flag was mounted and framed within our own textile conservation department, led by expert staff. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of early flags and related textiles, and have framed thousands of examples.

The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed molding is Italian. The glazing is U.V. protective Plexiglas.

Condition: There is one minor occurrence of fabric loss in the canton, and another in the 3rd white stripe, accompanied by extremely minor mothing elsewhere throughout, in limited areas. There is extremely minor bleeding of the red dye. There is some water staining in the canton, a minor stain in the last star on the first row, and a minor stain adjacent to the canton, in the 3rd white stripe. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 38
Earliest Date of Origin: 1876
Latest Date of Origin: 1889
State/Affiliation: Colorado
War Association: 1866-1890 Indian Wars
Price: SOLD
 

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