Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  35 STARS ON A TALL & NARROW, LIGHT BLUE CANTON, WITH INTERESTING SYMBOLISM THAT SHOWS THE 11 OFFICAL STATES OF THE CONFEDERACY IN DISSARRAY, A HOMEMADE, CIVIL WAR FLAG IN A VERY SCARCE AND DESIRABLE SIZE, 1863-65, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 46.5" x 66.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 35" x 56.25"
Description....:
35 STARS ON A TALL & NARROW, LIGHT BLUE CANTON, WITH INTERESTING SYMBOLISM THAT SHOWS THE 11 OFFICAL STATES OF THE CONFEDERACY IN DISARRAY, A HOMEMADE, CIVIL WAR FLAG IN A VERY SCARCE AND DESIRABLE SIZE, 1863-65, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD:

35 star American national flag of the Civil War period, in an especially scarce and desirable, small scale size and with wonderful graphic features. These include an attractive faded, cornflower blue canton that is unusually tall and narrow. This feature is seen on a fair number of Civil War battle flags, produced under military contract, but is much more unusual in a homemade flag, like this one. It's safe to suggest that the maker of this flag was probably familiar with military designs and was copying that style. Note also how the stars point in various directions on their vertical axis, which further amplifies its charming irregularities.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this particular flag, however, is reflected in the arrangement of the stars. Note how the maker to neatly organized the 24 stars of the Union at the top, placing them in the first 4 lineal rows, then scattered the 11 officially seceded states of the South at the bottom. Abraham Lincoln demanded that all of the stars be kept on the official flag because it was his goal to keep the Union together. But symbolism of all kinds abounds in homemade civil War flags. Some makers of flags removed the stars pertaining to the Southern States despite what Lincoln said, to create what we now call "exclusionary" flags. This particular example includes the stars, but represents an unusual decision by the maker to show the Confederacy below the Northern States in willful disarray.

West Virginia was admitted into the Union as the 35th state on June 20th, 1863, a few days before the battle of Gettysburg. The 35th star was officially added on July 4th of that year and the flag technically remained official during the closing of the war. Production would have generally ceased, however, just one year later, with the addition of the 36th state.

Despite its appearance, the flag is unusually small for the period. In the 19th century, flags with sewn construction (as opposed to printed parade flags) were typically eight feet long or larger. This is because they were important in their function as signals, which required that they be seen and recognized from a great distance. A small flag was six feet in length and production of even smaller flags, like this one, extremely limited. Even flags made for decorative use were typically large in scale. Because the average 19th century sewn flag is difficult to frame and display in an indoor setting, many collectors prefer printed parade flags and unusually small sewn flags, like this one.

This is a homemade flag, probably made for general patriotic purpose. Before this time it was not common for individuals to fly flags from porches, carry them in parades, or use them in many of the decorative fashions that we find so common today. The attack on Fort Sumter was a catalyst for change in flag use, spurring production and consumption by private households and businesses.

Construction: The stars of the flag are made of cotton, hand-sewn and double-appliqued. This means that they were applied to both sides of the blue cotton canton. Their edges were left rough (not turned under), probably because the maker, while comfortable with piecework, was not skilled at applique. The stripes of the flag are made of cotton and pieced with extraordinarily fine treadle stitching. 8 of the 13 stripes are pieced from two lengths of fabric that were joined by hand-stitching. The flag is bound by treadle stitching at both the hoist and fly ends. Some of the treadle work employs a type of chain stitch that is primarily seen in flags of the late Civil War. For some reason, use of this particular double-chain attachment was extremely short lived and the stitch is rarely seen on flags made outside the 1863-65 era. The fact that it required a lot of thread is one explanation. The hoist area is finished in an unusual manner. This consists of a white binding on the lower register, seamed in two pieces, and a rolled and hemmed binding of the same width in the blue canton above.

Mounting: The flag was stitched to 100% silk organza on every seam and throughout the star field for support. It was then sewn to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color, which was washed to remove 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. The mount was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is u.v. protective plexiglas.

Condition: There is minor to fading, accompanied by minor foxing and staining. There are several minor tears throughout. There is a vertical, stitched repair in the top center of the top stripe. 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: Sewn flag
Star Count: 35
Earliest Date of Origin: 1863
Latest Date of Origin: 1865
State/Affiliation: West Virginia
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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