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  38 STARS WITH SCATTERED POSITIONING, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889, VERTICALLY-ORIENTED AND WITH ESPECIALLY STRONG COLOR

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 47" x 32.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 36.25" x 21.75"
Description....:
38 STARS WITH SCATTERED POSITIONING, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889, VERTICALLY-ORIENTED AND WITH ESPECIALLY STRONG COLOR:

38 star American National parade flag, printed on coarse, glazed cotton. The stars are arranged in justified rows of 7-6-6-6-7. In 38 star flags this results in a secondary pattern that I commonly call a "box-in-a-box-in-a-box", because of the three consecutive squares of stars, the outermost of which is slightly flared at the corners. Note how the stars of the flag point in various directions on their vertical axis. This is necessary because the stars are rather large and their arms need to fit in-between one-another in order to fit within the confines of the Navy blue canton. Together these traits lend a nice measure of folk quality to the flag's overall presentation.

The 38th state, Colorado, received its statehood 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 Philadelphia in honor of the anniversary. The 38 star flag became official in 1877 and was generally used until the addition of the Dakotas in 1889.

Mounting: The flag has been placed in its correct vertical position, with the canton in the upper left. It has been hand-sewn to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color. The cotton 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 flag was then placed in a black painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor foxing, staining, and fading, accompanied by minor losses at the bottom of the hoist and along the bottom of the last stripe. Period parade flag fabric was placed behind these areas for masking purposes.
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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