Jeff Bridgman Antique Flags
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  A WELL-LOVED, CARRIED, AND MENDED 36 STAR FLAG THAT PROBABLY STARTED LIFE WITH 33 STARS, ARRANGED IN A "GREAT STAR" PATTERN, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, GREAT SMALL SIZE AND CORNFLOWER BLUE COLOR, 1861-65

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approximately 61" x 85"
Flag Size (H x L): 50.25" x 74"
Description....:
A WELL-LOVED, CARRIED, AND MENDED 36 STAR FLAG THAT PROBABLY STARTED LIFE WITH 33 STARS, ARRANGED IN A "GREAT STAR" PATTERN, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, GREAT SMALL SIZE AND CORNFLOWER BLUE COLOR, 1861-65:

This is a rather beautiful flag that has seen lots of use and has an endearing presence because of it. The sleeve of the flag was replaced and moved inward during the period of its use in order to mend losses. It is bound all the way around with a cornflower blue cotton and uses the same great color in its square canton. This is a homemade flag and I would lay down a substantial figure on a wager that it was carried as a Union Infantry, volunteer unit battle flag during the Civil War (1861-65).

It is my opinion that this would have almost certainly begun life as a 33 star flag, with the 3 flanking stars added during the war. Only the tip of an arm remains of one of these.

It's a homemade and entirely hand-sewn flag, except for the sleeve repair. The white stripes are cotton, but the red is blanket wool. There's a mend in the last white stripe, at the fly end that amounts to about 1/3 of the flag's overall length, accompanied by repairs in the 1st and 5th, 6th, and 7th stripes at the fly end. Some of this uses the same wool, possibly salvaged from elsewhere on the flag. It may have been longer at one time. It doesn't appear to have been shortened, but there were no standard proportions until 1912 and given the hoist end repair, I'd make an educated guess that the fly was also repaired, because the fly end is generally the first part to deteriorate. The patch at the extreme fly end of the last stripe is wool, similar in weave, but brighter and of a different lot.

It's very interesting to see flags like this that were saved. Anyone who spends a great deal of time looking at surviving examples knows that most of them are not in this order. Flags that saw lots of wear were generally discarded at some point following their period of use. But it's exactly this state which makes this particular flag so special. This flag was loved and flown with purpose, repaired and cared for with what was available to its owner(s), and it survives as a great relic of a time gone by; one of struggle, patriotism, war, and love for one's flag and country.

Among flag collectors, the Great Star configuration can be described as the most coveted geometric pattern. It seems to have came about shortly before 1818, when Congressman Peter Wendover of New York requested that Captain Samuel Reid, a War of 1812 Naval hero, help to create a new design that would become the third official format of the Stars & Stripes. The primary concern of ship captains was that the signal remained easily recognized on the open seas. Reid's concept of placing all the stars in a star-shaped pattern would have kept the constellation in roughly the same format as the number of states grew and more stars were added, in a distinct design that could be quickly identified through a spyglass. Though his proposal was rejected by President Monroe, due to the increased cost of arranging the stars in this manner, the Great Star was produced by anyone willing to make it. Its rarity today, along with its beauty, has driven its desirability among collectors.

Yet another important factor is the small size of the flag, which is unusual for the 19th century. Today, in the 21st century, flags with pieced and sewn construction that measure five feet long or shorter are commonplace. Prior to the 1890's, however, sewn flags of this size are considered extraordinarily small. Parade flags (also called hand-wavers), were printed on cloth or paper. These generally measured three feet long or smaller and were made for short-term use at parades, reunions, and rallies. Their sewn counterparts, however, made for long-term outdoor use, were typically between eight and twenty feet in length. This is because the purpose of flags in the 19th century and prior was primarily as signals that needed to be seen from a distance to be effective. This changed as we moved into the 20th century. As time passed their use became more and more decorative, for the general display of patriotism.Because the average 19th century sewn flag can be cumbersome to frame and display in an indoor setting, many collectors prefer small flags, such as this one, the size of which is much more manageable for a balance of visual impact and versatility.

The 33rd, state, Oregon, joined the Union in 1859. The 33 star flag became official in that year and remained so until July 4th of 1861, when a 34th star was added for Kansas. Kansas gained statehood in January of that year, but changes in the star count occurred officially on the Independence Day following a state's addition. West Virginia broke off from Virginia in June of 1863 and, though its residents were generally in support of the South, became a Free State. The 35th star was added a few days later on July 4th. Lincoln pushed Nevada through as the 36th state on Halloween in 1864 to support the Republican platform and the war itself, because Nevada was rich in silver. The 36th star was officially added on July 4th of the following year, 1865. Though the last Confederate general surrendered on May 26th, 1865, flag makers would have begun adding a 36th star to their flags in 1864, some of them even before the addition of the new state occurred. I have seen them with hand-written dates as early as July of 1864. The 36 star flag was replaced by the 37 star flag in 1867, with the addition of Nebraska.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% silk organza on every seam and throughout the star field. The flag was then hand-sewn to background of 100% cotton, black in color, which has been 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 acrylic.

Condition: There is moderate toning throughout, accompanied by some staining, and there are minor holes. For further details, see above, where the remaining specifics regarding condition are well-documented in the description itself.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 36
Earliest Date of Origin: 1861
Latest Date of Origin: 1864
State/Affiliation: Nevada
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: SOLD
 

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