| 34 STAR MERINO WOOL FLAG OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WITH ITS STARS ORIENTED IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS ON A PERIWINKLE BLUE CANTON; HIGHLY UNUSUAL; REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF KANSAS TO THE UNION AS A FREE STATE, circa 1861-1863 |
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| Web ID: | 34j-1029 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 57" x 90" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 45" x 78.25" |
| Description: | |
| 34 star American national flag, block-printed on fine, merino wool, in a highly unusual size for such construction and with beautiful colors. Note how the stars, arranged in linear rows of 7-7-6-7-7, are oriented in various directions on their vertical axis, which adds a nice folk quality to the overall design. These appear on a canton that falls somewhere between periwinkle blue and indigo, and contrasts beautifully with the scarlet red of the stripes. The body of the flag is comprised of two lateral lengths of fabric, one above the other, that have been joined by treadle stitching, with the upper portion containing both the canton the first 7 stripes, and the remaining 6 below. There is narrow, hand-sewn, plain weave, cotton binding along the hoist, applied in the same fashion, with 2 tiny brass grommets of nearly the same width as the header. Because I am familiar with this style of flag, I know that the maker--yet to be identified--regularly included brass grommets in a diameter that actually sometimes exceeded the width of the binding. With very little strength in the surrounding fabric, the stress of being flown often led to tearing and loss. The fly end was likely turned back following loss from wind shear. Bound with an 1/8” hem, with extremely fine hand-stitching, losses at the top and bottom were, at some point, repaired by hand-stitching the fabric in concave arches that mirror image one-another. Kansas was admitted into the Union as the 34th state on January 29th, 1861, about 2 ½ months before the Confederate assault on Fort Sumter that marked the beginning of the Civil War. The 34th star was officially added on July 4th of that year, though most flag makers would have added it as soon as the new state was in, if not beforehand, in hopeful anticipation, a practice that became common during the latter 19th century. Although the count of 34 remained official until July 4th, 1863, flag-makers both private and commercial/public would have ceased making 34 star flags when West Virginia was annexed from Virginia on June 20th of that year, to become the 35th state, 11 days before the battle of Gettysburg. This extremely scarce style 34 star flag, and close variations thereof, were sometimes sold to the Union Army, where, in small sizes, they likely served as flank markers or camp colors, and in larger sizes were probably requisitioned for a variety of uses. In addition to black-printed, merino wool examples, like this one, flags in the same basic style [though smaller], and with similar coloration, are known in both wool bunting [clamp-dyed] and in silk. Over more than 25 years of heavy buying, I have been privileged to own examples in all three fabrics, among which was a 2 x 3-foot, silk flag, with overprinted text for a 3-month regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers, raised by Lincoln when Confederate troops were about to enter the state for the first time. In addition to use on the battlefield and in camps, it is likely that flags in this style were sold for whatever purpose the buyer wished. Some probably saw short-term use at parades and political events, as props for commercial photography, as patriotic decoration at Sanitary fairs (benefits for an organization similar to the Red Cross), and at Civil War hospitals after fairs ended. Whatever the case may be, the size of this particular flag is enormous when compared to its counterparts. I have never seen a block-printed, merino wool flag of this scale. Likely this is not because others of this scale didn’t exist, but because they simply didn’t survive. It presently exists as an anomaly among identified examples. 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 background is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Condition: [Full report to follow] |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts |
| Flag Type: | |
| Star Count: | 34 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1861 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1864 |
| State/Affiliation: | Kansas |
| 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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