| 37 STARS IN A VERY RARE DIAMOND CONFIGURATION, WITH PILLARS OF STARS ON EITHER SIDE, NEARLY IDENTICAL TO A LARGER EXAMPLE PRESENTED BY CIVIL WAR GENERAL BENJAMIN BUTLER TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN AS THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG EVER CONSTRUCTED OF ENTIRELY AMERICAN-MADE MATERIALS, JUST 3 DAYS PRIOR TO HIS 1865 ASSASSINATION; THIS STAR COUNT ANTICIPATORY TO THE FUTURE ADDITION OF NEBRASKA |
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| Web ID: | 37j-854 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 65.5" x 108" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 54.5" x 96.75" |
| Description: | |
| 37 star American national flag, an incredible, intriguing survivor with one of the most rare and spectacular star patterns known to exist across its counterparts of any period, and with a definite relationship to a larger flag of the same design, presented by Civil War General and textile manufacturer Benjamin Butler to Abraham Lincoln, just 3 days before the President’s 1865 assassination. Prior to 1912 there was no official star configuration for the American flag. In other words, from the time in which Continental Congress adopted the 13 star, 13 stripe flag, on June 14th, 1777, until shortly after the addition of the 47th and 48 states, and the subsequent adoption of stars to represent them, the star pattern was left to the whims of the maker. Though any arrangement was possible, most flags presented their stars in lineal rows or columns. Some have circular designs, which are further up the rarity scale. The Great Star pattern (a star made out of stars) is far more scarce and highly coveted, and can be among the very best visually, but there are rarer configurations still. Among these are circles within squares, pentagons, ovals, and completely random patterns. There are flags where the stars actually spell something with alphabetic or numeric characters, some of which are among the rarest of all, but with regard to geometric configurations, the rarest--and arguably the most beautiful--are diamonds, shields, snowflakes, and starbursts. From a folk art perspective, these often excel beyond all others and are certainly more unusual to the eye. In 1861, two Stars & Stripes flags were in regular use at Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina. Both were flown during the attack by local militia on that garrison, that prompted the nation to war. Each flag bore a complement of 33 stars, configured in diamond-shaped medallions. The larger of these, a Garrison flag, measured about 20 feet on the hoist by 36 on the fly, representing the largest flag that appeared on U.S. Army regulations during the 19th century. The other, a storm flag, which was to replace the Garrison flag during inclement weather, was approximately 10 by 20 feet. The Garrison flag presented the same numerical array of stars as the Storm flag, though each displayed different spacing. Crowded together on the larger example, they form a singular mass that can be best described as a bowtie or perhaps an accordion. On the smaller flag, the left and right columns are instead dispersed, so that vertically stacked pairs of stars, in each corner of the blue canton, flank a distinct diamond formation in the center. In each case, the overall configuration on the Fort Sumter flags could be described as a diamond flanked by pillars, with the outermost stars embedded. Until 1865, America was unable to efficiently produce American flags for use at sea, and for extended outdoor use, from materials that were completely American-produced. The primary fabric for this was wool bunting, a gauze-like woven fabric only used in the manufacture of flags and banners, which allowed wind to pass more easily through. Since wool sheds water, the open weave of this fabric was not only lighter, but aided in the drying process, which also made it lighter, and in turn lowered the probability of fabric rot. In terms of the making of flags in the States, the stumbling block was the dying of blue wool bunting, the vast majority of which was obtained from Britain. Civil War General Benjamin Butler (1818-1893) was not a friend of Abraham Lincoln. Ambitious, troublesome, and a politically calculating foe, Butler was particularly loathed in the South for his heavy-handedness, as well as his concept of treating slaves as contraband of war. These earned him the nickname the “Beast.” The contraband policy was a brilliant move that helped force open the door to emancipation. Though Lincoln knew he was an asset, and thus tolerated him to the degree necessary, he is reported as having described the general as being “as full of poison gas as a dead dog.” In spite of Butler’s shortcomings, he was nonetheless a larger-than-life character whose tenacity and influence were such that he was selected by the independent, Greenback Party’s nominee for President in 1880. Among his numerous financial endeavors was an interest in a textile company in Lowell, Massachusetts that began life as Middlesex Textile Mill, and later grew into the U.S. Bunting Company. Desiring to obtain contracts from the U.S. military, of which he was an especially influential part, and sell them flags--whether they needed them or not, as some historians have alleged--Butler sought to simultaneously pursue the rather noteworthy goal of having all American flags, that were to be procured for military and government use, to be made entirely of American-made materials. Up and until this point, all of the blue wool bunting, in particular, used in the manufacture of practically all commercially made flags meant for long-term outdoor use on ships, forts, and other structures, was imported, principally or entirely from Britain. On April 11th, 1865, two days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and just and just 2 days before Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theater, Butler met with the President to discuss various topics. When he did, he presented Lincoln with the first American flag produced entirely of American made wool bunting. The flag displayed 37 stars, arranged in a dynamic diamond pattern that mimicked Ft. Sumter’s 33 star storm flag. The design itself was both a bold statement of Union victory and a slap in the face of South Carolina, specifically, as the initial, 1861 precipitator of violence against a federal military structure. The storm flag of Ft. Sumter was a famous one, well known to Union supporters because of the publicity it received. When Major Anderson, who was in charge of the garrison during the 1861 attack, was allowed by rebel forces to leave with his men, he took with them both flags. Six days later, on April 20th, 1861, Anderson displayed the Storm flag at a patriotic rally in New York’s Union Square, after which it was ceremoniously auctioned to the higest bidder, who didn’t keep the flag, but gifted the money to the Union cause. Anderson then proceded to take the flag on tour from city-to-city, throughout the North, where it was used to raise funds and became an inspirational symbol for wartime patriotism. Four years later, to the day, following the Confederate surrender, then Brevet Major-General Anderson returned to the remains of Fort Sumter and raised the flag again in triumph. Both flags remained with Anderson until his 1905 death, the Anderson children presented them to Secretary of War William Howard Taft. They were subsequently displayed at the War Department, then at the Pentagon, and were transferred into the hands of the National Park Service at the Fort Sumter National Monument, in 1954. Prior to the Civil War (1861-1865), there was very little use of the American flag by private citizens, for the display of general patriotism. It is of significant interest to note that Major Anderson’s election to display the Ft. Sumter storm flag in Union Square on April 20th may have given way to modern flag use in America, as the primary catalyst thereof. Use of the American flag by civilians and military men, alike, changed significantly at that precise time, probably augmented by the actions of flag-makers to direct the distribution and sale of both printed parade flags, and those with pieced-and-sewn construction, toward private consumption. The precise circumstances of the 37 star diamond pattern flag, presented by Butler to Lincoln on April 11th, 1865, remain unknown until shortly following the Lincoln assassination, when somehow Butler is known to be in possession of it again. Two monts later, General Butler gifted the flag to Thomas Winter of Brighton (U.K.), in recognition of his effort to improve Anglo-American trade. Winter is known to have displayed it, in 1877, when President Ulysses S. Grant, just having completed his second term, visited Brighton. He did so again, in 1893, while serving as the lead European agent at the World's Columbian Exposition (a.k.a., the Chicago World’s Fair), held in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s landing. According to the New York Times, it remained in the Winter family until 1915, when it was sold to the parents-in-law of a man by the name of Bernard G. Stanley, of Beckenham, Kent, who, in 1966, consigned it to Sotheby’s, where it was sold, on February 18th or 19th of that year, for 5,800 pounds sterling, or approx. $16,240 American. It is of interest to note that this may have set a world record price for a flag of any sort at auction. If not, it landed firmly on the short list thereof, among the costliest ever sold, and likely established a new record for an American example. Shortly following 9-11, the flag was sold again at Sotheby’s, in New York, for for $58,250. The flag that is the subject of this narrative is a period example of the 37 star, Butler-to-Lincoln presentation flag. Likely produced at the same time, while the Butler-to-Lincoln flag is reported to have measured approximately 8 feet on the hoist x 12 feet on the flag, this counterpart—the only other presently known--is smaller, at approximately 4.5 x 8 feet. In addition to the graphic likeness reflected in the configuration of the stars, the construction of the two flags—while difficult to ascertain due to substandard photography of the Butler-to-Lincoln flag, appears to be identical. The smaller flag is entirely hand-sewn throughout. The stripes and canton of each are made of wool bunting. The stars are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides). There is a coarsely woven binding along the hoist, made of cotton or linen, possibly a blended fabric, with 3 brass grommets. Although difficult to know with certainty, what I can see of the Butler-to-Lincoln flag suggests that these are very likely the same. The body of the flag (canton and striped field) were folded over onto themselves and hemmed before the binding was applied, with part of the roll-over exposed, in a manner often encountered in U.S. Navy-produced flags of the mid-19th century, as well as some other commercially-produced examples. Nebraska joined the Union as the 37th state on March 1st, 1867. The 37 star flag became official on July 4th of that year and though it remained so until July 3rd, 1877, generally fell from use in 1876 with the addition of Colorado. The 37 star-count is scarce in comparison to those that immediately preceded and followed it, due primarily to the lack of major patriotic events during the period when 37 star flags were generally used, which followed the Civil War yet preceded the 100-year anniversary of our nation's independence. Mounting & Condition: Check back soon or feel free to inquire. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | 37 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1867 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1876 |
| State/Affiliation: | Nebraska |
| 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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