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  1888 CAMPAIGN OF BENJAMIN HARRISON, EXTREMELY RARE, 13 STARS, PROTECTION SLOGAN

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 29" x 37"
Flag Size (H x L): 17" X 25"
Description....:
13 STARS, 1888 CAMPAIGN OF BENJAMIN HARRISON, EXTREMELY RARE WITH PROTECTION SLOGAN: 1888 Benjamin Harrison campaign flag, printed on cotton, with 13 stars and a slogan within a fanciful, serpentine scroll. One of only four known. There are numerous documented red, white, and blue bandanas and handkerchiefs from the 1888 campaign of Benjamin Harrison. A wide variety of styles are known, all with patriotic motifs, and most with variations of text supporting Harrison?s famous ?Protection for American Industries? platform. America was in the midst of the industrial age and there was a great deal of public interest, both in protecting growth and discouraging both imported goods and immigration. Bandanas abound but flags do not. This example, along with three others, were once part of an 1888 patriotic quilt. It was disassembled by a collector and sold piecemeal to other collectors. I acquired two of these examples. The use of 13 stars is seen in the flags of only a couple of candidates in the 19th century. Among these are Abraham Lincoln (1860 campaign), Henry Clay (1844 campaign), and Benjamin Harrison?s grandfather, William Henry Harrison (1840). Benjamin Harrison used his grandfather?s popularity to aid his late 19th century campaigns, bringing back such memorable elements the log cabin motif, suggesting he supported the common working man, and, of course, Tippecanoe, (Wm. Henry Harrison?s famous 1913 victory over the Indian chief, Tecumseh). Benjamin Harrison?s use of 13 stars draws another parallel to his grandfather?s legacy and stresses American independence. The bold, 1888 design has very large stars and a fanciful, serpentine scroll containing the phrase ?Protection for Home Industries? that spans both the canton and stripes. Below the bottom stripe is white area that separates one flag from the next on a bolt. A dotted line is still present along the bottom edge, indicating where it should be clipped, the presence of which is a desired feature among collectors. Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton rag mat and placed in a substantial, veneered mahogany portrait frame molding that dates to the 1830-1850 period. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 13
Earliest Date of Origin: 1887
Latest Date of Origin: 1888
State/Affiliation: 13 Original Colonies
War Association: 1866-1889 Indian Wars
Price: No
 

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