| EXTRAORDINARILY RARE ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A THREE-COLOR CANTON THAT CONSISTS OF A TREMENDOUS, WARLIKE EAGLE, PERCHED ON A FEDERAL SHIELD, SET WITHIN A RING OF 14 STARS; MADE IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE MEXICAN AND CIVIL WARS (1846 – 1865) THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE IN THIS STYLE AND THE LARGEST OF ALL KNOWN RECORDED PARADE FLAGS WITH AN EAGLE AS THE PRIMARY IMAGE |
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| Web ID: | 14j-812 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 48" x 64.75" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 36" x 53" |
| Description: | |
| Made sometime in the period between the Mexican & Civil Wars, 1846-1865, this exceptional parade flag stands easily among the contenders for the best one may ever encounter. Flags with eagles that serve as the primary image in their cantons are rare in general, surviving more in early illustrations than they do “in the cloth,” so-to-speak. Among printed parade flags, waved at parades and political events, the total is somewhere in the realm of 15-20 examples, most of which I have had the great privilege to own at one time or another. The canton of this flag features a device that is different from any of its scarce counterparts. This consists of a warlike eagle, on the offensive, standing upon a federal shield, with neck outstretched above 6 arrows, all aimed in the direction of its gaze, and the olive branch clearly trailing behind. To the upper left is a stand of flags, with the Stars & Stripes at their center. All of the above is superimposed upon a single wreath of 14 stars. One of the most notable and incredibly rare characteristics present in this example is the use of a third color within the canton. While one of the known eagle variants presents the entire device in red (unique to that flag), just two other parade flags with eagles in the canton incorporate an additional color past blue and white. One, with 34 stars in a single wreath and 4 outliers, is documented in "The Stars & The Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit" by J. Richard Pierce (2005, J. Richard Pierce), p. 62. The other, with 32 stars (30 + 2 outliers), survives in a private collection. Both of these I was privileged to have once owned and sold to their respective owners. In addition to the simple fact that it features a federal eagle to begin with, and the flag’s incredible graphics, the most obvious and important trait is the scale of this example among its known counterparts. During the 19th century, parade flags, in general, tend to be 3 feet long or smaller on the fly. Most of those with eagles, specifically, measure less than two feet in length. A fair number fall short of 12 inches. At 36 x 53 inches (3’ x approx. 4.5’), this is the largest example that I am aware to exist, for which I know the measurements. One, among the holdings of the Smithsonian’s Division of Political History, measures 33 x 47 inches [See “Threads of History” by Herbert Ridgeway Collins, Smithsonian Press, 1979, plate 435, p. 206. Misdated 1876. Correct date is 1863-65]. Another, that I acquired and sold many years ago, is fractionally larger on the hoist, at 36.75 x 47 inches (includes a two-inch, applied banner). I am aware of another large contender in a private collection, that I once viewed images of, but for which I was never able to ascertain the exact scale. Block-printed on cotton, or a cotton-flax blended fabric, the additional expanse of white present above and below the stripes, ending in selvedge, reflects the difference between the size of the blocks that the printer employed, and the width of the bolt of cloth. Several aspects of the image of the eagle device are worthy of comment. One, while an eagle facing a cluster of arrows may not reflect wartime production in every instance, here it almost certainly does. The feature is so prominent, in this instance, that it would be hard to convey a more meaningful message. While earlier artwork was sometimes copied, I further doubt that was the case here. This is a distinctive Mexican War – Civil War era eagle, possibly copied within this time frame, from the earlier war to the latter, but not outside it. The star count is somewhat of a mystery. It may be that this was intended to be 13, and that the total got lost in the shuffle, so-to-speak, either obscured by the remainder of the imagery, or for some other, unknown reason. And while some might suggest it to have been a subtle way to reference Vermont as the nation’s 14th state, I find that explanation unlikely in this instance. Vermont was not a mecca of flag production and the number of stars is obscured as opposed to having been prominently featured. One very worthy possibility of consideration would be that the 14 star count was employed to reference the number of Free vs. Slave States. On paper, this would place the date between 1845-1848, following the addition of Iowa as the 14th of the former on December 28th, 1846 (agreed to in 1845, per the Missouri Compromise of 1820). This was a time of heated political agendas, as the ability to add more Slave States evaporated with the December 29th, 1845 addition of number 15 in that column, Texas. The count of 14 Free States remained until the May 29th, 1848 admittance of Wisconsin in the North, which balanced the scales. A year later, the discovery of gold in California brought forth an almost inevitable outcome and the pot soon boiled over on the slavery issue. Though the practice of making what the newspapers would refer to as “Disunion” flags does not seem to have been reported on until the 1850’s, the survival of actual flags, with what I now believe to be Southern-exclusionary star counts, suggests that it occurred at least as early as the time of the Missouri Compromise itself, if not perhaps prior. Having had the opportunity to own, physically hold and compare, literally thousands of 19th century parade flags, including almost all of the known examples with eagles, I can confidently say that the printing, the fabric, the colors, the design, and the size, all indicate a significant possibility of Mexican War era origin. Though private use of the Stars & Stripes during the Mexican War was scant at best—even the Army, itself, was not authorized to carry it on foot until 1834 (artillery) and 1841 (infantry), with cavalry not following until the second year of the Civil War (1862)—printed flags of the 1840’s tend to be larger in scale than those that followed. This is hardly conclusive, but since only 1% or so of what has survived into the 21st century from the 19th century dates to the pre-Civil Era, it’s a trait worth noting in a flag that lacks the full star count, but had one potentially datable to that specific timeframe. Because the first datable examples of printed parade flags appeared in 1840, made for the presidential campaign of William Henry Harrison, a Mexican War era date would place it among the earliest of all known examples of its kind, the presence of an eagle aside. It would also make this example the earliest of all known parade flags with a large eagle as the primary device. Although the use of eagles on American flags was certainly popular throughout the 1840’s and 1850’s, as evidenced by their presence in all sorts of patriotic imagery, as well as surviving flags, the amount of flag-making produced by the Civil War, both for military function, and for general patriotic use by private citizens, quickly outstripped anything that had occurred previously to this time. Output surged, in part to outfit the thousands of volunteer regiments raised and all of the associated fanfare. Display by civilians, business, and fraternal groups grew exponentially. Though the 14 star count suggests and earlier date of origin, the sheer amount of flag-making that occurred during the Civil War suggests an even greater likelihood that the making of this flag occurred then. Most of the known examples with eagles as the primary image date to that precisely that time frame or else immediately after, within the 36 or 37 star periods. Whatever the case may be, this extraordinary flag survives as nothing short of a masterpiece of the Antebellum and Civil War era in mid-19th century America. 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 university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The black-painted and hand-gilded molding, with its wide, shaped profile, is Italian. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas.) Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: There are tack holes, with associated rust stains, along the hoist, where the flag was once affixed to a wooden staff, accompanied by losses in the upper and lower corners, from the stress of long-term use. There are some vertical splits between the stripes at the fly end, some with minor to moderate associated losses. There is a small hole, about the size of a fingertip, near the end of the 5th white stripe, and there is modest soiling and water staining throughout. There is modest fading throughout. blue portion of the canton, adjacent to and just below the shield, accompanied by others in the striped field, including . is significant wear from obvious, extended use. There is modest to significant fading in the red stripes and modest to moderate fading in the canton. There is modest to moderate soiling throughout, and a scattering of tiny holes, roughly the size of a pencil tip, in limited areas. A small piece of fabric, at the fly end of the first white stripe, was nearly detached. This was simply stitched into position. Many of my clients prefer early flags to display their age and history of use. The flag presents beautifully and the extreme rarity well warrants its state of preservation. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Parade flag |
| Star Count: | 14 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1861 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1865 |
| State/Affiliation: | |
| War Association: | 1861-1865 Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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