| ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A WHIMSICAL PRESENTATION OF 13 STARS IN THE 4-5-4 PATTERN, A VERY EARLY EXAMPLE, MADE circa 1835-1850’s, BOLDY GRAPHIC, ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN AND IN A TINY SCALE AMONG ITS COUNTERPARTS, PROBABLY A U.S. NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN |
|
| Web ID: | 13j-1735 |
| Available: | Sold |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 43.5" x 62.5" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 31.5" x 50.5" |
| Description: | |
| Across antique American flags that date to the 19th century and prior, very few exist that pre-date the Civil War (1861-65). I often cite the percentage at around 1 – 1.5 percent. Within this tiny fraction, most of these rare survivors are very large in scale. This is because the flag was created as a tool for the American Navy, to identify ships on the open seas. In spite of what we are led to believe by its appearance in Hollywood productions, early illustrations, and elsewhere, ground forces were not authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes until the mid-1830's and after. The first war it in which the American national flag was carried was the Mexican War (1846-48). Because almost no flags survive from that conflict, the first wartime appearance of American flags in any significant number was the Civil War, and it was at this same time that use of the flag by private citizens gained popularity. 13 star flags have been continuously produced throughout our nation’s history for purposes both patriotic and utilitarian. This was the original number of stars on the American flag, representing the original 13 colonies, and thus appropriate for any flag made with reference to American independence. As the number of stars grew with the addition of new states, it became more and more difficult to fit them on a smaller flag. Ship captains were concerned that the stars be more easily viewed from a distance as individual objects, so that their union didn’t become cluttered. For this reason, the U.S. Navy often flew smaller flags with reduced star counts, particularly from the mid-19th century onward. Although the full star count of the respective period was certainly employed in some cases, as evidenced by both surviving examples and illustrations, I believe the Navy tradition of using reduced counts, especially 13 stars, may have prevailed from the 18th century all the way into the early 20th century, until at least 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson put an end to the practice via Executive Order. Because the use of signals on private ships often mirrored that of the Navy, 13 star flags could be expected to appear on privately owned vessels, especially in the mid-19th century and prior. In addition to their practical application on ships, 13 star flags were sometimes hoisted, in the pre-Civil War era, at patriotic events. They are known to have been displayed during Lafayette’s grand tour of America in 1824-25, immediately prior to our nation’s 50-year anniversary of independence, to festoon the many, garishly decorated receptions and parades held in honor of the of the beloved Revolutionary War general. The 13 star count also appears on some of our nation’s earliest flags made for political campaigning. Here the use is presumed to glorify past struggles for American liberty, a message that persisted during the Civil War, when more 13 star flags appeared within those produced by both private and commercial makers. Constructed sometime between roughly 1835 and the 1850’s, the flag that is the subject of this narrative falls among the earliest that survive in this star count. Entirely hand-sewn throughout, the canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting. The stars are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and double-appliquéd (applied to both sides). These are (albeit crudely) arranged in rows of 4-5-4, which, according to historical record, as well as surviving flags, was a popular configuration in the earliest periods of American history, present on some of our nation’s eldest examples. Because no one is certain what the very first flag looked like, and because this was a seemingly popular variant, I have long speculated that the 4-5-4 pattern is on the short list of possible candidates to have appeared on the very first flag. Due to these considerations, as well as the general scarcity of the pattern, this is a very desirable arrangement. There is a plain weave cotton binding along the hoist of the flag, pieced from two lengths of fabric, joined at the approximate center, with three, whip-stitched, hand-sewn grommets. Fragments of what is likely hemp twine, as well as cotton, remain tied to the upper-most of these. Note, in particular, the crude and offset placement of the star arrangement, as well as how the stars themselves are rather large with respect to the size of the canton. Tipped this way and that on their vertical axis, note how those in the middle row, rakishly angled, were placed in such close proximity to one-another, with arms intertwined, that their row could be justified with those above and below it. The whimsical effect of these traits lends a healthy portion of folk appeal to the overall design. The 4-5-4 pattern of 13 stars was preferred by the U.S. Navy on small boat ensigns until the latter portion of the Civil War, approx. 1864-65, when they instead began to appear with rows of 3-2-3-2-3. Although the configuration was unspecified in the first official “boat flag” regulations, in 1854, the change seems to have occurred in conjunction with the subsequently adopted regulations of 1864. That said, because variation tends to have been more of a rule than the exception with regard to production and procurement of early flags, and because ships’ stores generally held more than one flag, it’s hard to make any hard fast judgments about precisely when 4-5-4 pattern flags were no longer flying on U.S. Navy ships. Generally speaking, unless the demands of war outstripped the limits of production, the Navy made its own flags. This probably occurred at all six Navy Yards within the 1835-1850’s era. Although this particular flag does not bear all of the hallmarks I might expect, differences from one to the next would have been significantly impacted by not only tradition of each yard, and the whims of the individuals in charge, but by the many women who sewed them. At U.S. Navy yards, makers were often the wives, sisters, and daughters of both civilian employees and sailors. Commercially-made flags might also be requisitioned, not only at times of high demand, but simply as a matter of practicality. This is to say nothing of flags made at sea, where, flown on open water, they lasted about a month, or flags made at foreign ports. Most decisions regarding use of the American flag, during the 18th and 19th centuries, was driven by reasonable measures of common sense and availability. Though, prior to the Civil War, the primary use of the Stars & Stripes was aboard ships, another use was to mark garrisons and government buildings. Because their function was to serve as signals, that needed to be seen from great distance, flags of all kinds were easily beyond a scale that can be framed and displayed in an indoor setting. Garrison flags were 36 feet on the fly by Army regulations, and the largest Navy flags were the same. The Navy listed nothing under 6 feet until 1864, when a 5-foot version was introduced (notedly rare among actual, surviving examples). Small boat flags could be as long as 10 feet until the 1880’s. Even Union infantry battle flags, carried on foot, were 6 x 6.5 feet until WWI (U.S. Involvement 1917-18). Because framing typically adds about a foot, displaying just one flag in any of the above sizes can be a challenge. At approximately 2.5 feet on the hoist by 4 on the fly (plus the 2-inch binding), this is one of the smallest flags of its kind that one may encounter. Though Navy regulations didn’t specify such a scale, similar examples survive and are an extraordinary find. If meant to be flown on water, this is what might be displayed on a small skiff, meant to transport sailors back-and-forth to shore, or perhaps on a pilot house. Use on a merchant vessel is just as likely, in this instance. Other possibilities, though less likely, would be for display by a military or militia group, fraternal or political organization, or for display at a time of patriotic celebration. Whatever the case may be, this is among the earliest examples of a 13 star flag that one might ever expect to encounter, with bold and attractive visual features, entirely hand-sewn, in a desirable star pattern, and in a tiny scale among its counterparts of the period. All-in-all, a magnificent addition to any flag collection of any level. Mounting: The flag was mounted and framed in-house. For 25 years we have maintained our own specialized department for this purpose, with expert staff. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The two-part frame consists of a black-painted, solid mahogany molding of dramatic, shadow-box depth, to which a rippled profile molding, black with gold highlights, was added as a liner. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The glazing is Optimum Museum Acrylic (Plexiglas), U.V. protective, anti-glare, and scratch resistant. Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: Check back or inquire for full report. |
|
| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | 13 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1835 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1850's |
| State/Affiliation: | 13 Original Colonies |
| War Association: | 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War |
| Price: | SOLD |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
 |
|
