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  VERY RARE SEWN FLAG WITH 5 STARS ON A BLUE CALICO CANTON AND 8 STRIPES, MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN & HANNIBAL HAMLIN, WITH SPECIFIC HISTORY TO A PITTSBURG AREA FAMILY, SAID TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED IN A TORCHLIT PARADE

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 45.25" x 58.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 30.75" x 43.75"
Description....:
VERY RARE SEWN FLAG WITH 5 STARS ON A BLUE CALICO CANTON AND 8 STRIPES, MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN & HANNIBAL HAMLIN, WITH SPECIFIC HISTORY TO A PITTSBURG AREA FAMILY, SAID TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED IN A TORCHLIT PARADE:

During the 19th century, many printed parade flags exist that were specifically made, or modified with overprinted text, in order that they could be used to aid in the political campaigning of American presidential candidates. Of these, those made for the two campaigns of Abraham Lincoln, in 1860 and 1864, are collectively the most desired by both serious collectors and the general public alike. But there is another type of political campaign flag, much more rare than their printed counterparts. These are flags sewn in a traditional manner, generally larger in size, with pieced stars and stripes and hand-painted or stenciled lettering. Such flags are seen in many early illustrations of parades and rallies, but few are ever encountered in person among surviving examples. Here is one of those exceptions.

This 5-star, 8-stripe variation of the American national flag was made in 1860 during Lincoln's first run for the White House. Hand-lettered in the stripes, in faded red, pastel pencil, is the simple text:

LINCOLN
HAMLIN

While 8 plus 5 stars does happen to equal 13 (the number of original colonies) and while much hidden symbolism can be seen in American flags of the Civil War era, the star and stripe count here probably serve no purpose other than a decorative one. It could have some long forgotten meaning, but it more likely reflects nothing more than a lack of available fabric and time to construct the textile. The use of blue calico fabric in the canton, in place of solid blue cotton, adds further support to this theory. While solid blue cotton was available, it must have been scarce. This is evidenced by the number of homemade cotton flags, like this one, that were made during the Civil War era and substitute a similarly thin, though notably different fabric in the canton, often merino wool or a blended fabric.

Flags with blue calico cantons are rare in the extreme, however, and I am aware of just a handful of examples to exist across all periods; somewhere between five and ten in total. Anything out-of-the-ordinary, that is also visually interesting, can have a large impact on desirability. That is the case with calico canton flags among advanced flag collectors and enthusiasts.

The flag was found in the possession of a family that has owned it since its making. Verbal provenance states that it was made by a female member of the family, 80-years old at the time (name now forgotten), for use at a torch-lit parade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The most recent owner was a descendent of this woman in the greater Pittsburgh area. A newspaper clipping, saved with the flag, is the only piece of paper known to document the story. Though un-dated, the article appears to have been published during the 1st or 2nd quarter of the 20th century. It states that the flag was presented by a "Mr. Allen" at a meeting of the Fraternal Patriotic American (FPA), the William McKinley Council (chapter) No. 383. Though the town is not listed (probably because it was the local paper and the town's name was self-evident), several other councils were in attendance from the surrounding area, including a chapter from Pittsburgh, as well as those from the towns of Derry, Acme, and Turtle Creek, which are just to the east in Westmoreland County, and another called Saratoga, which does not show up on modern maps.

The flag is entirely hand-sewn. The stripes and canton are both made of cotton, as are the stars, which are single-appliqued. This means that they were applied to one side of the canton, then the blue calico fabric was cut from behind each star, folded over, and under-hemmed, so that one appliqued star could be visible on both sides of the flag. While some persons have pointed to this as a means of conserving fabric and cutting corners (not having to sew another star to the other side), others suggest that the real purpose was to make the flag lighter in weight. I believe it to be both a function of all of the above and I always find single-appliqued stars more interesting, sometimes because they are more visually intriguing and always because, when executed properly, they are firm evidence of an even more difficult level of seam-work and stitching.

Though the flag itself is two-sided, the lettering appears on only one side, the one we now call the reverse. When displayed horizontally, this makes the flag appear backwards to a modern eye. Until the end of the 19th century, however, there was no backwards and forwards, so-to-speak. The idea of there being only one ethical way to display the flag against a wall, over a street, etc., wasn't proliferated until little booklets started to be released by veteran's groups, insurance companies, and others, between roughly 1890 and 1900. Around 1890, the idea of using the flag to advertise the names and portraits of political candidates started to become unpopular. Bills to outlaw it were brought before Congress twice before 1900, but related legislation wasn't passed until 1905.

It is interesting to note that Lincoln he was hardly the favorite at the beginning of the campaign. Lincoln won the Republican nomination from the 3rd ticket. He then defeated John Bell (Constitution Party), John Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat), to become the Republican party's first president. Lincoln was elected with a mere thirty-nine percent of the vote and carried no state south of the Mason-Dixon.

Hannibal Hamlin, our nation's first Republican vice president, was born in Maine in 1809. He was an attorney who, prior to the White House, served as Chairman of the Maine State House of Representatives, then a U.S. Congressman and Senator, and finally as Governor of the State of Maine. He was a Democrat until 1856, but was an opponent to slavery. He did not run with Lincoln in the second campaign in 1864, but did return to the U.S. Senate from 1869-1881. He served as Minister to Spain from 1881-82.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color, which has been 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. The mount was then placed in a hand- gilded and distressed Italian molding of exceptional quality, with a wide, convex profile. The front is u.v. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor foxing and staining, but there are no significant condition issues.
Collector Level: Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: Other
Earliest Date of Origin: 1860
Latest Date of Origin: 1860
State/Affiliation: Pennsylvania
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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