| ONE OF THE ONLY ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAGS I AM AWARE TO SURVIVE IN A DESIGN THAT INCLUDES A RATTLESNAKE, THIS EXAMPLE IN A VARIANT OF THOSE RECORDED IN USE BY THE COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS NAVY FROM LATE 1775 - 1776, AND POSSIBLY BY THE PENNSYLVANIA NAVY ON THE DELAWARE RIVER BETWEEN LATE 1775 – 1778, ALL WITH A GREEN PINE TREE AS THE CENTRAL DEVICE UPON A WHITE FIELD; THIS EXAMPLE WITH A RATTLESNAKE COILED ABOUT ITS BASE AND ADORNED WITH “AN APPEAL TO GOD” & “DON’T TREAD ON ME” SLOGANS, H |
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| Web ID: | ofj-1008 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 60" x 82.75" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 53.75" x 68.75" |
| Description: | |
| In modern times, one of the most admired devices present on colonial era American flags is the rattlesnake. I receive a ton of requests for what is typically referred to as "Don't Tread on Me" flags, referencing the most familiar motto known to have sometimes accompanied it. Unfortunately, early examples of rattlesnake designs, of which there were a variety, are all-but-nonexistent beyond written descriptions and illustrations. This fact remains true not only in surviving examples of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), of which there are but two known to exist—neither of which is in a design that anyone outside the circles of serious flag scholars would be likely recognize—but across those made post-war. The latter includes flags made for Revolutionary War units that continued to exist into the 19th century and apparently replaced flags, represented by just one known example, plus flags and banners made for various patriotic purposes from the 2nd-4th quarters of the 19th century through the 1926 sesquicentennial of American independence, currently represented by what I estimate to be fewer than 10 examples. Beginning in or around the WWII (U.S. involvement 1941-945) and post-WWII era, there was a small amount of production of certain colonial designs for historic display in locations such as state armories, for example, and they were available from various makers in the early 20th century, as evidenced in their catalogs, but production had to have been extremely limited compared with flags that were current at the time, based on what has managed to survive, but the designs commonly recognized today didn’t become popular until the 1976 Bicentennial. Much of what gets reported about early American flags and their use is rooted in myth and fiction. The two most widely published and recognized versions of colonial American flags with devices that include rattlesnakes, for example, are a design with a coiled serpent in the center and the words “Don’t Tread on Me” beneath, set upon an all yellow ground, commonly known as the “Gadsden flag,” and another with a red and white striped field, upon which the same words are superimposed beneath a slithering snake, commonly referred to as the “First Navy Jack.” One of these is real, while the other is quite certainly rooted in fiction. American forefather John Jay is said to have attributed the design of the first of these to Christopher Gadsden (1724-1805) of South Carolina, who served as delegate to something called the “Stamp Act Congress of New York,” in 1765, and in that same year became one of the chief organizers of the Sons of Liberty. He went on to serve with Jay as delegate to both the First & Second Continental Congresses, and in the latter served as the very first chairman of the Marine Committee. This was the congressional body charged with oversight of the Continental American Navy. While in this role, Gadsden suggested that the yellow flag, with its coiled serpent and slogan, be flown by the Navy’s Commander in Chief, as the personal standard of the officer with that distinction. Though no original of what would become known as the “Gadsden flag” survives, there are plenty of mentions of it. The same cannot be said, however, of the next most recognizable rattlesnake design, known as the “First Navy Jack,” the origins of which were mistakenly surmised from a contrived image, generated by an unidentified engraver (probably an Irishman trained in Dublin, working in London), published by a British printmaker operating under the assumed name of “Thomas Hart.” Hart’s identity was as false as the imaginative works he illustrated of five “rebel” American commanders. During the 18th and 19th century, it was common for European painters and engravers to produced views of famous men, events, and locations they had never before seen, blatantly ignoring what they actually looked like. Created with an intent to sell, such images may include hints of truth or accuracy, based on information gathered from newspapers, letters, verbal reports, works by other artisans, etc., but at times the same portrait might be re-published repeatedly with various names displayed beneath. Because few would ever see these men, the landscapes on which they were illustrated, or the objects therein, few would ever realize the illegitimacy of the representations. To make matters worse, the false depictions were subject to being copied by other engravers, then published by other printers, none of whom may have had access to any other source, or would have any way of becoming aware of the error. As the earliest and/or only available reference(s), one can imagine how easy it might be for fictional images of this sort to germinate into historical “fact,” even in the hands of caring and diligent scholars. One of the false portraits published by “Thomas Hunt” was a mezzotint engraving of Esek Hopkins, Commodore of the Continental American Navy. Dated August 22nd, 1776, the most or all of the image is contrived / imaginary. To make matters worse, the portrait and surrounding backdrop were afterwards copied by both French and German engravers, who added or omitted details, for reasons that might be explained by artist’s liberty or available time, but of which we have no record. Research by noted vexillologist Peter Ansoff, former president of the North American Vexillological Association, revealed the Esek Hopkins mezzotint by Hunt as the original source of the mythicized "First Navy Jack," which he describes as “a flag that never was.” The relative importance of this information to the pine tree flag that is the subject of this narrative is, in part, due to a second flag that appears in the same Hunt mezzotint, which bears a tree and the slogan “An Appeal to God.” Use of the word “God,” instead of “Heaven,” the latter of which appears on other cited designs of the colonial era, may also have been derived from this source. Unlike a variety of other colonial designs, reproduced for historic, patriotic events, such as the 1876 centennial of American Independence, referenced by flag historians and produced by modern flag-makers for historic purpose, this “Appeal to God” flag with its tree, rattlesnake, and “Don’t Tread on Me” slogans, is an especially unusual one that seldom appears in early literature compiled by flag scholars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although the snake in the Hunt image is slithering instead of coiled, and there are no stripes on the flag in question, it is nonetheless of great interest to note that this flag presents a combination of the elements of both flags in Hunt’s mezzotint. It is important to note that there is a measure of truth within the Hunt-produced image of Esek Hopkins, relative to not only this flag, but others. Though no American flags of the 18th century are recorded with the snake and slogan, red & white, horizontally striped flags did exist in colonial America and are believed to be in use by the Colonial Navy. The same sort of truth exists with regard pine tree flags, as previously stated, which did exist, though not perhaps in this exact form, or at least not in what has been uncovered thus far. Made entirely of silk, this flag was probably produced between the year 1910 and the 1926 Sesquicentennial of American independence (its 150th anniversary). The pine tree and rattlesnake device is entirely and elaborately hand-painted by a skilled artisan on a ground of silk taffeta. The slogans are double-appliqued (applied to both sides) with the zigzag machine stitch, expertly executed and evidence of a highly skilled flag maker. The text is in reverse on the reverse of the flag, which is unusual but not unheard of. The top bottom and fly ends of the flag are expertly and finely hemmed with machine stitching. There is an open sleeve along the hoist end, created by the body of the flag being rolled over and machine stitched, with remnants of leather tabs on the interior. At the top of this, on the reverse, a tiny tag was affixed, made of similarly colored silk fabric, though with a different weave, on which the number “32” was fancifully hand drawn in black ink or pigment. It seems likely that this is either a museum tag or part of a numbering system that allow this flag to be hung in order with others. A likely source for this sort of marking would be for its display and historic purpose by the likes of someone such as department store owner John Wanamaker, who was known to commission and exhibit exquisitely made flags on patriotic occasions throughout his Philadelphia flagship location, and probably elsewhere. Other possibilities include World's Fairs, immensely popular in this, where there were fanciful displays of historic flags, often expertly made by flag makers. Competition for the best made goods, decorative arts, architecture, and machinery, beyond anything normally available, were the hallmark of such exhibitions. Whatever the case may be, this is the only flag of this quality, with sewn construction, with a rattlesnake design, that I have ever had the opportunity to acquire, from this period or prior, in 25 years of tireless searching. Unique to this example, there are no others like it among those I know of in either public or private hands, and almost nothing of comparable design or quality that I know to exist. In all ways an extraordinarily find. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The black-painted and distressed Italian molding with its wide, serpentine profile, and gilded inner lip, with a rippled profile, is Italian. The flag has been hand-stitched to its background, which is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: [Full report to follow.] |
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| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
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| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1910 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1926 |
| State/Affiliation: | |
| War Association: | 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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