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  45 UPSIDE-DOWN STARS, 1896-1907, UTAH STATEHOOD, SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR ERA

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 11.25" x 8"
Flag Size (H x L): Approx. 2.25" x 4" on a 7" staff
Description....:
45 UPSIDE-DOWN STARS, 1896-1907, UTAH STATEHOOD, SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR ERA:

45 Star American parade flag printed on coarse, glazed cotton and retaining its original staff. The stars are arranged in staggered rows and are upside-down in their vertical alignment. No one knows if this positioning had any purpose, but there was no official way to orient the stars and it is possible that the maker of this flag did not feel that any star position was "right-side-up".

Utah became the 45th state in 1896. It had been attempting to gain statehood for many years, but remained a territory, primarily due to the fact that the Mormon Church and Utah authorities continued to be openly tolerant of polygamy. In 1890, Mormon Church President Wilford Woodruff published a manifesto that denounced the contract of "any marriages forbidden by the law of the land". This gave way to Utah's 1896 acceptance. The 45 star flag was generally used from that year until 1907, when Oklahoma joined the Union. Due to the Spanish-American War (1898) and Teddy Roosevelt's famous world tour of the "White Fleet" (launched in 1907), this was an extremely patriotic period.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton rag mat and placed in a paint-decorated frame hat dates to the period between 1910 and 1920. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.
Collector Level: Beginners and Holiday Gift Giving
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 45
Earliest Date of Origin: 1896
Latest Date of Origin: 1907
State/Affiliation: Utah
War Association: 1898 Spanish American War
Price: SOLD
 

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