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  38 STARS IN AN EXTREMELY RARE VARIANT OF THE MEDALLION CONFIGURATION THAT HAS A DIAMOND OF STARS IN THE CENTER, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 28.25" x 22.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 19.25" x 12.75"
Description....:
38 STARS IN AN EXTREMELY RARE VARIANT OF THE MEDALLION CONFIGURATION THAT HAS A DIAMOND OF STARS IN THE CENTER, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889:

38 star American national parade flag, printed on coarse, glazed cotton. The stars are arranged in a very rare form of the medallion configuration. In the 38 star count, such designs typically have a single center star. This one has a diamond-shaped pattern of 4 stars in the center, surrounded by two wreaths of stars, with a flanking star in each corner of the blue canton. I have seldom ever seen this unusual variant and have never before owned an example in this style.

The stripes were printed with a pigment that was colored with madder, which has a red-orange hue. It is for this reason that many cotton parade flags produced between 1850 and 1876 have shades of red that lean strongly toward orange.

Colorado became the 38th state on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation's centennial of independence from Great Britain. Although 37 was the official star count for the American flag in 1876, flag-making was a competitive venture, and no one wanted to be making 37 star flags when others were making 38's. It is for this reason that 38 and 13 stars (to represent the original 13 colonies) are the two star counts most often seen at the Centennial International Exposition, the six-month long, World's Fair event, held in honor of the anniversary, in Philadelphia. Some flag-makers were actually producing 39 star flags, in hopeful anticipation of the addition of another Western Territory. The 38 star flag became official on July 4th, 1877 and was generally used until the addition of the Dakotas in 1889.

Mounting: The frame combination is a marriage between an oak molding that dates to the period between 1885 and 1910 and a modern, hand-gilded and distressed liner. The flag has been placed in its correct vertical position, with its canton in the upper left. It has been hand-sewn to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color, which was washed to reduce 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. Spacers keep the textile away from the glazing, which is U.V. protective glass.

Condition: There is moderate, consistent pigment loss throughout, accompanied by a scattering of tiny holes. The result is endearingly attractive. 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: Parade 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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