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  1876 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION PENNANT WITH 38 STARS SURROUNDING "1776"

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 27.5" x 36.75"
Flag Size (H x L): 17.25" x 25.75"
Description....:
1876 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION PENNANT WITH 38 STARS SURROUNDING "1776":

This tapered swallowtail pennant was made for our nation's 100-year anniversary of independence in 1876. Set against a blue ground with a fine white border are 38 stars. These are oriented in various directions on their vertical axis and arranged around the date "1776," which appears in bold, whimsical text.

Printed on coarse, glazed cotton, this is one of a variety of beautiful styles that are known to exist in similar format. These were tacked to wooden staffs and waved as parade flags for events of all sorts that occurred during that year, the foremost of which was the Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, a six-month-long World's Fair event and the first of its kind held in the United States.

The banner was primarily made by one of two firs, either the American Flag Company or Annin & Company, both of which were located in New York. This attribution is based on documented examples in "Threads of History" by Herbert Ridgeway Collins (1979, Smithsonian Press), which is the foremost reference on political textiles. Collins served as curator of political history at the Smithsonian.

Colorado became the 38th state to enter the Union on August 1st, 1876, but since stars were officially added to the American national flag every 4th of July for all those states that were added over the previous "flag year" (July 4th - July 3rd), the 38 star flag would not become the new official count until 1877. Flag-making was a competitive business, however, and no one wanted to be making 37 star flags when their competitors were making 38's. It is for this reason that 38 and 13 stars (to represent the original 13 colonies) are the two star counts most often seen at the Centennial International Exposition, along with 39 stars, which some flags-makers were using in hopeful anticipation of the addition of another Western Territory. The 38 star flag became official on July 4th, 1877 and was generally used until the addition of the Dakotas in 1889.

Mounting: The pennant has been hand-stitched to 100% hemp fabric. The mount was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: The white area that once existed along the hoist end is absent. There are minor tears and fabric loss elsewhere and moderate wear from obvious use. There is minor to significant foxing and water staining throughout. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 38
Earliest Date of Origin: 1876
Latest Date of Origin: 1876
State/Affiliation: Colorado
War Association: 1866-1890 Indian Wars
Price: Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281
 

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