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  31 STARS IN A RARE PENTAGON MEDALLION, MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF JOHN BELL & EDWARD EVERETT, RECYCLED FOR THE 1864 CAMPAIGN OF LINCOLN & JOHNSON

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 18" x 19.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 8.25" x 12"
Description....:
31 STARS IN A RARE PENTAGON MEDALLION,

MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF JOHN BELL & EDWARD EVERETT,

RECYCLED FOR THE 1864 CAMPAIGN OF LINCOLN & JOHNSON:

31 star American parade flag, printed on glazed cotton, and made for the 1860 campaign of John Bell, who ran on an independent ticket for the Constitutional Union Party. Printed in the white stripes is the following text:

F0R PRESIDENT,
JOHN BELL.

FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
EDWARD EVERETT.

THE UNION AND THE CONSTITUTION.

Flags made for Bell's campaign are exceptionally rare, but what makes this one even better is the fact that the flag was recycled by Lincoln for his campaign for reelection in 1860. This was accomplished through the use paper labels that read "Abm. Lincoln" and "Andrew Johnson", which were applied over the names of Bell and Everett.

Note that the text in the stripes is the same color as the blue canton, meaning that two were printed contemporaneously. This is not the case with many advertising flags, which were instead overprinted with black ink. Use of punctuation is almost always interesting in overprinted and other advertising flags, and this one is no exception with large periods after the candidate's names. This is also the case on the paper overlays, which have a period at the end of each surname.

It is interesting to note that Lincoln seems to have liked Bell's slogan, "The Union and the Constitution", which he left visible at the bottom of the flag. This isn't the only time that Lincoln or his supporters recycled a flag and it isn't the only time in which he left Bell's slogan intact. One other Bell flag is known with the names of Bell and Everett cut away and the slogan left behind. There are also three known 1860 Breckinridge & Lane flags with the names of Lincoln and Johnson, pre-printed on cloth, appliqued on top.

Note how the stars are arranged in a very interesting medallion pattern that, instead of being circular or star shaped, forms a pentagon. A few variations of the rare pentagon pattern are known and all are peculiar. Note that there is a star in each corner of the canton, which is typical of medallion designs, but there is also a single star at the very bottom center, which almost transforms the pentagon into an acorn.

Note that 31 is two stars short of the official star count in 1860. This is sometimes the case with political campaign flags, which often have a number of stars that is one or more behind what was official in the election year. Sometimes campaigning may have started before the election year. At other times the star count probably wasn't that important to the person ordering these small, printed flags. The purchaser might have frequently been the campaign manager, but may sometimes have been a private individual who supported the candidate politically and wanted to make a classy display at his/her home or business along the campaign route.

The 1850-1865 era marked a pivotal time in American party politics. It was witness to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854, and the end of both the Whigs and the American Party (Know-Nothings), which basically disappeared in 1860. The members and ideals of these latter two groups basically diffused into the Constitutional Union Party and the Republican Party. John Bell, a southerner, was the first and only candidate for the Constitutional Union Party. He ran against Abraham Lincoln (Republican), John Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrat).

Though Lincoln won, he was hardly the favorite at the beginning of the campaign, even among Republicans, winning the party's nomination from the 3rd ticket. But he was the clear favorite among the non-slave states, and the presence of three candidates from the Southern, slave-holding states brought about two almost inevitable conclusions, an end to the election and the beginning of our nation's bloodiest war.

Flags made prior to the Civil War are extremely rare, comprising less than one percent of 19th century flags that have survived to present-day America. Prior to the 1876 centennial of our nation's independence, the Stars & Stripes was simply not used for most of the same purposes we employ it in today. Private individuals did not typically display the flag in their yards and on their porches. Parade flags did not often fly from horse-drawn carriages. Places of business rarely hung flags in their windows. Some of these uses for started to take place during the patriotism that surrounded the Civil War, but civilian use of the flag was not wide spread until 1876.

Biographical Information on John Bell & Edward Everett:
John Bell was born near Nashville, Tennessee in 1797. A 1814 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Bell passed the bar in 1816 and set up a law practice in Franklin. He was elected to the Tennessee State Senate just one year later, in 1817, then declined re-election. He became a U.S. Congressman in 1827, serving 7 terms. During this time he served as Speaker of the House, chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, and chairman of the Committee on Judiciary. He served a very brief term as Secretary of War in 1841. In 1847 he was elected to the Tennessee State Congress, and in the same year became a U.S. senator (Whig Party), serving nine years before his run for the presidency. The Constitutional Union ticket carried just three states, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. Bell died at his home in 1869, near Chattanooga, and is buried near Nashville.

Born in Boston in 1794, Edward Everett studied abroad in Germany and returned to the U.S. as our nation's first holder of a Ph.D. He became a professor of Greek Literature at Harvard and was a member of the Whig Party. Everett was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1825, where he served for 10 years. Afterwards elected Governor of Massachusetts (1836-1840), he then became President of Harvard (1846-49). Everett then returned to politics in 1840, serving as Envoy and Minister to England until 1845 and was appointed Secretary of State by Millard Fillmore in 1852, following the death of Daniel Webster. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1853, but resigned just a year later.br />
Everett was considered the greatest orator of the time, which is why he was selected to give a speech at Gettysburg in 1863, to dedicate the memorial to fallen soldiers. He spoke for two hours, but Americans will forever remember the day, not for Everett, but for President Lincoln, who was asked to follow with a "few appropriate remarks". These became the Gettysburg Address. Everett died in Boston in 1865 and was interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. br />
Mounting: Don't be fooled by the seemingly backwards orientation. There was no backwards or forwards until flag ethics became popular at around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Advertising parade flags almost never have text on both sides. The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color, which was 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 paper was hinged to 100% cotton rag mat, which was applied on top of the cotton. The mount was then placed in a gilded frame that dates to the period between 1820 and 1860. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is u.v. protective.

Condition: The flag had been glued to cardboard by a previous owner. It was successfully removed by my staff. There is some staining throughout, accompanied by very minor holes. The paper overlays had been glued to the flag. These were removed so that they could be mounted below the flag. They were in pieces, so they were reassembled on acid-free paper tape. The flag presents well and given its great rarity, any condition is acceptable. Many collectors prefer early flags, which were used outdoors, to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 31
Earliest Date of Origin: 1859
Latest Date of Origin: 1860
State/Affiliation: California
War Association: 1861-1865 Civil War
Price: Sold
 

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