| 44 STARS IN ZIGZAGGING ROWS ON A PRESS-DYED WOOL AMERICAN FLAG MADE BY THE HORSTMANN COMPANY IN PHILADELPHIA, REFLECTS THE PERIOD WHEN WYOMING WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, 1890-1896 |
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| Web ID: | 44j-925 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 37" x 49" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 24.75" x 37.25 |
| Description: | |
| 44 star American national flag, press-dyed on wool bunting. The stars are configured in zigzagging lineal rows of 8-7-8-7-7-7, which is a pattern sometimes seen in this star count. There is a heavy, twill-woven binding along the hoist, in the form of an open sleeve, through which a wooden staff could be threaded and tacked into place. Though there are no marking along the sleeve, save for a penciled notation of the star count (‘44’), I have owned other examples of this exact variety, on which markings allow me to confidently attribute them to having been both produced and sold by the Horstmann Company in Philadelphia. Horstmann was a major military goods manufacturer and dealer. The firm, which opened during the first quarter of the 19th century, is well known for in outfitting of soldiers for the American Civil War (1861-1865). Horstmann is known to have made press-dyed wool flags in a slightly smaller size that were sold as military camp colors, in both 34 and 35 stars, which they were still producing more than 50 years later, in the 46 star period (1907-1912). In terms of both the size and the construction of the binding on the example that is the subject of this narrative, both attributes are more congruent with 38 star flags, made by Horstmann for general patriotic display at the 1876 Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia. This was our nation’s first World’s Fair, the resounding success of which brought about many others in the last quarter of the 19th century and the opening decades of the 20th. Flags of this type, with 44 stars, would have been sold for any purpose the user so desired, and thus may have been employed in either military or private function. The manner of construction was appropriate and useful for either. Wyoming was admitted as the 44th state on July 10th, 1890. Although the 44 star count would not become official until July 4th of the following year, flag makers would have begun to add a 44th star immediately, if not even beforehand, in hopeful anticipation. This became common among flag-makers during the latter 19th century, a practice that reflected both their support of westward expansion and a drive not to be out-stepped by their competitors. While the 44 star count remained official until July 3rd, 1896, it would have generally fallen from use at the beginning of that year when Utah was accepted as the 45th state, on January 4th. Some Notes on the Press-Dying Process: First patented in 1849, the press-dying process was thought to be a novel idea that would improve flag-making efficiency. In this case, for example, it could potentially alleviate the chore of hand-appliquéing 88 stars (44 on each side). In reality, however, the result must have been less efficient than sewing. To achieve white stars, for example, metal plates in the shape of stars had to be clamped to either side of a length of woolen fabric, in the desired configuration, so they were back-to-back. These may have been lightly brushed beforehand with a solution that would resist dye, or perhaps with a thin coat of wax. The stars were clamped together tightly, the bunting was dyed blue, and the areas where the metal stars were positioned would be left white. For flags with press-dyed stripes, the same task was repeated with different clamps. A form of resist-dyeing, this method often resulted in crude characteristics, such as stripes with irregular lines, in various widths, and stars with inconsistent shapes, in slightly varying sizes. It is likely that this resulted in some lost product and wasted time, from flags that had bleeding or misprint issues and were of too poor quality to sell. Within those flags that survived, today’s collectors today find the irregularities interesting, not only because they demonstrate early production methods, but also because they lend the sort of folk qualities that make early flags more interesting to look at. Wool was preferred because it sheds water, making it the fabric of choice for all maritime flags and, in fact, most flags produced by professional flag-makers for long-term outdoor use. Whatever the case may be, printing on wool is costly and difficult. Even today, only about 1% of wool fabric is printed*, because it generally needs to be washed afterward and wool cannot easily be treated with water. Press-dying was primarily used during the Centennial-era by the U.S. Bunting Company of Lowell, Massachusetts, which began making press-dyed flags for the U.S. military in 1869, and by Horstmann Brothers. The U.S. Bunting Co. was one of the first flag-makers to successfully produce high quality wool bunting fabric in the States, and while its owners worked diligently to master the press-dyeing process, it seems quite obvious today that it was actually more costly than anticipated. This would explain why it never became a popular method of flag production. * Chen, W., Wang, G., & Bai, Y., “Best for Wool Fabric Printing…,” (Textile Asia, 2002, v.33 (12)), pp. 37-39. A Brief History of the Horstmann Company: William H. Horstmann (1785-1850) was the founder of what would become a major military outfitter in both Philadelphia and New York City. A solider and fourth generation passementier (textile weaver), Horstmann emigrated to the United States from Cassel, Germany in either 1815 or 1816, settling in the Germantown area of Philadelphia, where there was a significant concentration of textile manufacturing. Horstmann established a business of manufacturing fringe, laces, and trimmings at 50 N. Third St. and soon after married the daughter of Frederick Hoeckly, the most successful lace manufacturer in the city. In 1824 he introduced three significant tools to America, including the first jacquard loom, for weaving multicolored fabrics, the first braiding machine, and a machine for plating metal. Moving to the corner of 59th & Third, he imported technology from Germany and elsewhere and maintained regular trade with his family in Europe. The company grew exponentially in size and had many addresses over its years of operation. In 1828, the William H. Horstmann Military Store opened and in 1831 he established a New York branch. In 1843 the name was changed to the William H. Horstmann & Sons Military Store, and in 1859 it was taken over by sons Sigmund H. and William J., who operated the business as Horstmann Bros. & Co. in both New York and Philadelphia. Taking on investors in the interim, from 1845-1849 it operated in NYC as Horstmann Sons & Drucker, then Horstmann Sons & Allien. As an outfitter of Civil War regiments, the firm manufactured its own goods, including flags, swords, drums, insignia, and many other items, and subcontracted for the manufacture of these objects as well, depending on financial sensibility. There were other investors and partners along the way, such as William S. Hassall and George Evans, who broke off and became a significant competitor as “Hassall & Evans.” Brothers Sigmund & William Horstmann passed in 1870 and 1872, respectively. In 1877, the New York branch changed its name to that of partner H.V. Allien. In 1893 the Philadelphia location changed its name to simply “Wm. H. Horstmann Co.,” operating as such until 1940. In 1927 “Horstmann Uniform Co.” was established as a separate entity, though it operated in a building within the large, Horstmann campus. In 1948, both the Philadelphia and New York branches filed for bankruptcy and closed. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained our own textile conservation department, led by a master’s degree level graduate from one of the nation’s top programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The flag has been hand-stitched throughout for support flat-lined) to 100% silk organza. It was then hand-stitched to a background of 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). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: There is very minor to modest mothing in the striped field, and a very tiny amount in the canton. Fabrics of similar coloration were placed behind the flag during the mounting process, both for masking purposes and to strengthen its color against the black ground. There is very minor soiling along the sleeve and there is minor to modest soiling in the striped field, the most significant of which occurs in two vertical lines, beyond the Canton. There are tiny holes along the sleeve, at the extreme top and bottom, with minor associated rust stains, where metal tacks once held the flag to a staff inserted within. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts |
| Flag Type: | |
| Star Count: | 44 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1890 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1896 |
| State/Affiliation: | Wyoming |
| War Association: | 1866-1890 Indian Wars |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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