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  48 STARS IN STAGGERED ROWS ON A LARGE SCALE PARADE FLAG WITH A BRILLIANT, CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, 1896-1918

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 29" x 45"
Flag Size (H x L): 19.5" x 35.75"
Description....:
48 STARS IN STAGGERED ROWS ON A LARGE SCALE, ANTIQUE AMERICAN PARADE FLAG WITH A BRILLIANT, CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, 1896-1918:

48 star American national parade flag with a striking, cornflower blue canton and scarlet red stripes. Large among its counterparts, the colorful graphics and slightly elongated profile provide for wonderful presentation.

On June 24th, 1912, President Howard Taft signed an executive order that dictated for the first time an official configuration for the stars on the American national flag. Numerous designs were submitted for consideration, but taking direction from the War Department, Taft selected a regimented pattern that consisted of 6 justified rows of 8 stars.

The 48 star flag became official a few days later, on July 4th, which marked the official change of the "flag year". Two stars were added to reflect the addition of New Mexico and Arizona, which had respectively gained statehood on January 6th and February 14th.

Taft's order only applied to those flags made for the Department of the Government, which meant that Stars & Stripes produced for all other manner of use were unaffected. Because flag-makers had been allowed to choose their own star patterns for the previous 135 years, and because the order didn't apply to private consumption, many flags did not follow government specifications.

Printed on coarse, glazed cotton, this large scale American parade flag does not conform to Taft's design. Its stars are arranged in staggered rows. Among surviving 48 star flags, one may find staggered row pattern examples that date both before and after the 1912 order and the July 4th adoption of the new star count.

Because many WWI (U.S. involvement 1917-18) images show patriotic Americans waving 48 star flags with this staggered row pattern, there is strong evidence that not every flag-maker produced the justified 6 x 8 design. In addition, some flag makers had long been adding stars before their respective states were officially added. Called "anticipatory flags" these were a reflection of both expansionism and American capitalism, as flag-makers searched for new things to market to potential buyers. Because of their presence throughout the latter half of the 19th century, in particular, it is not surprising that the practice continued and makers chose to produce 48 star flags before the 48th state entered the Union.

48 star flags with 6 staggered rows of 8 stars are documented with penciled or printed dates as early as 1896, sixteen years before the 47th and 48th stars were actually added to the flag. Because they are well-represented with this star pattern in photographs dating as late as WWI, but don't seem to appear in post-war images, the most likely window of manufacture falls sometime within this 22-year window (1896-1918).

48 remained the official star count throughout WWI, WWII (U.S. involvement 1941-45), and the Korean War (1950-53), until Alaska gained statehood in 1959 and the 49th star was added.

Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color, which has been 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. The mount was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor foxing in a repeating pattern that resulted from the flag having been rolled against its wooden staff. There is a tear along the hoist end, at the top, adjacent to where the staff would have been. There is minor dye loss. There is minor fabric loss at the extreme fly end of the lowest three white stripes. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Beginners and Holiday Gift Giving
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 48
Earliest Date of Origin: 1896
Latest Date of Origin: 1918
State/Affiliation: Arizona
War Association: WW 1
Price: SOLD
 

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