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  39 STAR PARADE FLAG, MADE FOR THE 1880 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 27" x 35.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 16.5" x 25.5"
Description....:
39 STAR PARADE FLAG, MADE FOR THE 1880 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR:

39 star American national parade flag, printed on cotton, made for the 1880 presidential campaign of James A. Garfield and Chester Arthur. Unlike some advertising flags, which were overprinted with the names of candidates in black ink, the blue text on this flag was printed contemporaneously with its blue canton and utilizes the same pigment. The choice of the lettering is indicative of the late 19th century; note its somewhat crude and whimsical nature, as well as the decorative embellishments that frame the word "and", which look something like torches turned on their sides. These features add a nice touch to the visual presentation of the flag.

Most campaign flags were smaller than this example. Larger flags like this were evidently produced in smaller numbers. Because they were more difficult to store and more likely to be damaged over time, logic suggests that they were also more readily discarded. Because they are more scarce and simultaneously provide more graphic impact, larger political flags are generally more desirable.

An example of this flag is documented in "Threads of History", by Herbert Ridgeway Collins (Smithsonian Press, 1979), item 485, p. 223. Collins served as curator of political history at the Smithsonian and his book serves as the most complete reference on surviving political campaign textiles.

Note also the use of 39 stars as opposed to 38, the latter of which was the official count in 1880. 39 is an interesting star count because it was never official nor even accurate for so much as a day. Even so, 39 star flags were made at two different times in the late 19th century. The first 39 star flags were made in 1876, in anticipation of the addition of two new states. Only one of these states was added (Colorado, in August, 1876), which brought the star count to 38. Thirteen years later, 39 star flags were made again with the anticipation of the addition of the Dakota Territory. On November 2nd of 1889, the Dakotas came in as two different states (North & South), which forever rendered 39 star flags both inaccurate and unofficial. Flag makers didn't care what was official, they simply wanted to be offering the newest and most interesting flags that they thought they could sell. Their existence is a classic display of both American capitalism and expansionist ideals for the growth of our nation.

This particular style of 39 star flag is more scarce than some other known varieties and is known to have been produced in the earlier of the two periods. The use of columns or rows of different sized stars is unique to parade flags in the 39 star count. Note how they appear here in two different sizes to make columns of unequal number, but of equal height.

Also note how that the stars are upside-down in their vertical alignment, with two points up instead of one. No one knows if this positioning had any purpose, but since there was no official way to orient the stars, it is possible that the maker of this flag did not feel that any star position was "right-side-up". Whatever the case may be, the feature does add a degree of interest to the design.

Because Garfield was assassinated during his presidency and was replaced by Chester Arthur, both men served our nation's highest office. Having the names of two presidents is a desirable feature on political campaign cloth and is unusual simply because the Vice President so rarely gained the White House.

Some Facts about James Garfield and the 1880 Presidential Election:
The 1880 election, its candidates, and the unfortunate event that followed made for one of the most interesting campaigns and presidencies. While the campaign platforms were relatively uninteresting, because they were so similar, the election results would become one of the most unusual in American presidential politics. Garfield and Hancock nearly tied in the popular vote, tallying 4,446,158 and 4,444,260, respectively. This represented approximately 48.3% for each candidate. Garfield won the electoral vote, however, 214 to 155. The margin between the two candidates in the popular vote remains the smallest ever in U.S. history.

James Abraham Garfield was a professor who left academics for law before his 1859 election to the Ohio State Senate. Like his Democrat opponent, Winfield Scott Hancock, Garfield served as a Union Army General during wartime. Though successful would be an accurate description of Garfield's military career, it was brief and unlike that of the much-celebrated Hancock. Garfield left the Army during wartime, in 1863, when he was elected to the United States Congress. His promotion to major general came after the Battle of Chickamauga, shortly after he had been elected. In 1876 he moved to the Senate and became the Republican floor leader. In that same year he was appointed to the highly controversial Electoral Commission that put Rutherford B. Hayes in the White House despite his loss of the popular vote. In 1880 he ran for president and won, though he served less than four months in office. He became the second U.S. president to be assassinated when he was shot by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2nd, 1881, a disgruntled man who unsuccessfully pursued a political appointment following the election. Garfield lived until September 19th, when he died as a result of his wounds.

Arthur succeeded to the presidency and served out the remainder of the term. Like many Vice Presidents, he was chosen for political advantage, to placate his faction, rather than for skills or loyalty to his running mate. He is an interesting figure in political history for several reasons, among them the rather shocking fact that he may not have been a U.S. Citizen. Arthur's parents were Irish immigrants to Canada and lived just 80 miles from the Vermont border before moving to the U.S.. Arthur claimed to have been born in 1829 in the town of Fairfield, Vermont, though no birth record has ever been found and he artfully avoided the question of his possible birth on Canadian soil. On at least one occasion he reported the date of his birth as 1830 instead of 1829, and there seems ample reason to be suspect of the information he provided.

Arthur was a member of the Stalwarts of the Republican Party, a faction that opposed Civil Service reform and was more conservative than the supporters of Rutherford B. Hayes. Before Charles Guiteau surrendered to authorities he shouted: "I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts...Arthur is president now!", which resulted in no lack of further controversy and questioning. As a result, Arthur laid low after the shooting, retiring to his home in New York. He rarely appeared publicly and effectively left the nation fumbling, without a leader, until Garfield's passing.

Before politics, Arthur practiced law and was a strong supporter of equal rights for blacks. During the Civil War he served as both quartermaster general and inspector general, with the eventual rank of brigadier general. He returned to law after the war and, in 1871, was appointed by President Ulysses Grant as Collector of the Port of New York, a powerful and lucrative position that he served until 1878. After the presidency he returned to New York and died the next year from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was interred at Menands, New York.

Mounting: The solid walnut frame dates to the period between 1860 and 1880. The flag has been hand-stitched to a background of 100% hemp fabric. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is moderate fading of the red dye, accompanied by minor foxing and staining. There is a very minor amount of fabric loss in the top, hoist-end corner of the blue canton, accompanied by pinprick-sized holes in the body of the canton and a small lateral tear in the white area along the hoist, adjacent to the last white stripe. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. Further, the rarity and importance of this example well-warrants the condition.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 39
Earliest Date of Origin: 1880
Latest Date of Origin: 1880
State/Affiliation: North Dakota
War Association: 1866-1890 Indian Wars
Price: SOLD
 

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