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  30 STARS, HALOED MEDALLION, WISCONSIN STATEHOOD, 1848-1850, PRE-CIVIL WAR

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 26" x 33"
Flag Size (H x L): 14" x 21"
Description....:
30 STARS, PRE-CIVIL WAR, HALOED MEDALLION PATTERN, WISCONSIN STATEHOOD, 1848-1850:

30 star American national parade flag, printed on cotton, with a beautiful form of the medallion configuration that bears a huge, haloed center star. Although the name of the maker is unknown, this company is known to make at least six different star counts. Of those star counts, this is the earliest. Examples are known with 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, and 42 stars, all of which have a double-wreath pattern that includes a flanking star in each corner and large center star with a white pinstripe around it. Also note the strong, tomato red color the stripes on this particular flag, which adds a great deal to its bold visual appeal.

Printed parade flags are unknown with fewer than 26 stars, so this 30 star example is among the earliest of all printed flags. In addition, unlike some other pre-Civil War star counts, very few varieties of 30 star printed flags have been discovered. I am aware of only two (possibly three) styles that are known to exist. In one of these styles, only one single flag is known (a variety with 5 rows of 6 stars). I know of fewer than ten flags to exist with 30 stars in this haloed medallion style. So the total number of 30 star printed flags currently known may be fewer than ten and is certainly fewer than fifteen.

The 30th state, Wisconsin, joined the Union on May 29th, 1848. The 30 star flag was official until July 3rd, 1851, but 30 star flags would not likely have been made after the addition of California in 1850. This means that they realistically had a life span of about two years.

Flags made prior to the Civil War are extremely rare, comprising less than one percent of 19th century flags that exist in the 21st century. This is partly because, prior to the Centennial, our flag was simply not used for most of the same purposes we employ it in today. Private individuals did not typically display the flag in their yards and on their porches. Parade flags did not often fly from carriages and horses. Places of business rarely hung flags in their windows. Use of the Stars and Stripes for these purposes began to rise swiftly during the patriotism that surrounded the Civil War, but civilian use of the flag was not widespread until 1876.

Even the military did not use the flag in a manner that most people might think. The primary purpose before the Civil War was to mark ships on the open seas. While the flag was used to mark some garrisons, the flags of ground troops were often limited to the flag of their own regiment and a Federal standard. Most people would be surprised to learn that the infantry wasn't authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes until 1837, and even then did not often exercise the right, because it was neither required nor customary. It was not until the Civil War took place that most U.S. ground forces even bothered to carry the National Flag.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton rag mat and placed in an exceptional, mahogany-veneered molding that dates to the period between 1830 and 1850. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.

Condition: Excellent, especially for the period, with only very minor foxing, staining, and fabric loss. This is one of the cleanest examples known and its color is particularly strong.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 30
Earliest Date of Origin: 1848
Latest Date of Origin: 1850
State/Affiliation: Wisconsin
War Association: 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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