Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  34 STARS IN A LINEAL ARRANGEMENT THAT RESULTS IN A CONFIGURATION THAT I HAVE TERMED "GLOBAL ROWS," MADE DURING THE OPENING TWO YEARS OF THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-63, KANSAS STATEHOOD

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 12" x 15.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 5.25" x 8.75"
Description....:
34 star American national flag, printed on fine, glazed cotton. Note the interesting offset-row configuration that results in what I refer to as “global rows”, because the star pattern forms an oval that resembles a global map. This is a result of the particular positioning of the rows, which creates a narrow, vertical oval of stars in the center, surrounded by two sets of parentheses, the overall look of which resembles longitudinal lines.

Note how the stars point in various directions on their vertical axis, which adds a nice degree of folk quality to the presentation.

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, but most flag makers would have added a 34th star with the addition of Kansas in January. The star count remained official until July 4th, 1863, and 34 star flags would have generally been produced until the addition of West Virginia in June of that year.

34 star parade flags are scarce. Prior to the Civil War, Americans did not employ the flag in many of the ways we do today. Before that time private citizens generally did not fly flags off their porches or wave hand-held examples like this one at parades and rallies. Flags were primarily a tool of the military--particularly the U.S. Navy. It wasn't until Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter that a surge of patriotism caused a great increase in the making and consumption of the Stars & Stripes by the general public. It was then that flag-makers began to produce them in quantity for the first time. This flag would have been among some of the first made for that purpose.

Mounting: The red-painted molding has exceptional early surface and dates to the period between 1830 and the 1860. The flag has been hand-stitched to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color. The cotton was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat treated for the same purpose. Spacers keep the textile away from the glazing, which is U.V. protective glass.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 34
Earliest Date of Origin: 1861
Latest Date of Origin: 1863
State/Affiliation: Kansas
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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