| HOMEMADE & ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN, SILK, PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN FLAG, MADE FOR WHIG PARTY CANDIDATE HENRY CLAY, LIKELY IN 1844, WITH HIS APPLIQUED PORTRAIT IN THE CANTON, TAKEN FROM AN 1832 SILK CAMPAIGN RIBBON, WITH A STRIPED FIELD THAT BEGINS & ENDS ON WHITE, AND WITH ITS CANTON RESTING ON A RED STRIPE |
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| Web ID: | ofj-895 |
| Available: | On Hold |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 18.25" x 26.25 |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 10" x 17.5" |
| Description: | |
| Presidential campaign flags were primarily produced by commercial makers. Though there are some large examples with stripes that are individually pieced and sewn together, and with stars individually stitched to a blue union, to which lettering was somehow applied to display the names of presidential hopefuls, the vast majority of campaign flags produced during the 19th century are in the form of what we call parade flags or “hand-wavers.” Printed on cotton or silk, these were adorned with the names of the candidates, and/or their portraits, and sometimes party slogans. Tacked or glued to wooden staffs, these were made to be waved at parades or political events. The first known parade flags that can be dated to a specific year were made in 1840, to advertise the presidential campaign of Whig candidate William Henry Harrison. Although there are a few exceptions, parade flags typically measured less than 3 feet on the fly, which made them extremely different than the average sewn flag of the 19th century, which was 8 feet long or larger. Sewn flags were generally far larger than they are today, in order to serve their intended function as signals, meant to be viewed and recognized from a distance. Prior to the 1890’s, even those made for decorative use were large by modern standards. A 6-footer was considered small. Generally speaking, during the 19th century, the smaller a flag with sewn construction was the more unusual it was. While there were some handmade parade flags, stitched together at home for the same purpose as their printed counterparts, these fall among the scarcest of what survives, likely because printed parade flags were accessible to those who desired them, but for some reason they are almost never encountered with the names or faces of political candidates. This incredible survivor was made for the presidential aspirations of founding Whig Party member and organizer, Henry Clay. Born in Virginia on April 12th, 1777, about 2 months before the Stars & Stripes was adopted as the American national flag (June 14th), Clay studied law at the College of William & Mary and in Richmond before settling in Kentucky to practice in 1797, just 5 years after the territory had become the 15th state. Clay’s most famous client was Aaron Burr, whom he successfully defended from a charge of treason in 1807. Elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1803, the state legislature elected him to the United States Senate just 3 years later, in 1806. Special dispensation was made for Clay when he was sworn in at age 29, a year younger than required by law. Deciding that he didn’t like the rules of the Senate, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1810, was elected without opposition, and soon after became the youngest person yet selected as Speaker of the House. Known as "The Great Compromiser" and "The Great Pacificator,” he played a significant role in the negotiated Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812, and was heavily involved with mitigating matters between the Free & Slave States from that time until his death in 1853, spearheading both the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the subsequent Compromise of 1850, that helped restore order when it expired and the balance of power tipped in favor of the North. Clay sought the White House three times, including 1824, 1832, and 1844. “Always a bride’s maid but never a bride” is the phrase I have most often heard uttered for one of the longest-serving, most well-liked, and most skilled public servants in American history. Many people don’t realize that in early America, campaigning for public office was generally considered to be unbecoming of a gentleman. The most dramatic change to this concept occurred in 1840, when the Whig candidate William Henry Harrison became the first to actively pursue the venture. Both flags and kerchiefs were commercially produced in this year to promote Harrison. Democrats were slow to respond; none exist for Harrison’s Democrat opponent, Martin Van Buren. Made for Henry Clay's 1844 presidential campaign, one of the most important things to know about the flag that is the subject of this narrative, is that it was made for only the second election in which these textiles were used. Hand-sewn and made entirely of silk, it displays a host of extremely scarce and desirable features. In addition to the selection of costly fabrics and such fine construction, chief among these is the fact that the stripes of the flag start and end on white, instead of red. Though defined in the original flag act as “13 stripes, alternate red and white,” the entire legislation was but a single sentence. Whether or not the language was absolutely intended to define their number as 7 red and 6 white, instead of the opposite seen here, is not known with certainty. What is known is that the “starts-on-white, ends-on-white” characteristic tends to be associated with our nation’s earliest flags, appearing primarily in illustrations that date to the last quarter of the 18th century and the 1st quarter of the 19th. Occasionally it occurs thereafter, with decreasing frequency over time. Also of interest is the fact that the canton rests on a red stripe. When this scarce condition occurs, some flag historians have referred to it as the “blood stripe” or the “war stripe”, suggesting the flag was constructed in this manner when the nation was at war. In actuality, the placement probably occurred more often by accident. Not everyone knew where the canton was traditionally placed. Because there was no official legislation regarding this facet of American flag design until 1912, and no official proportions, there was no specified position. Here one may note that it rests on the 8th stripe, which is typical, but with the reversal of the stripe colors, naturally translates into the advent of the blood stripe feature. Whatever its purpose, intentional, accidental, or a matter of circumstance, presence of the war stripe characteristic in early flags is highly coveted by collectors. The canton of the flag, royal blue in color, is made of a length of plain weave, royal blue silk with a lustrous finish and wavy striations in its irregular grain. This was expertly applied to a striped field assembled from individual lengths of silk ribbon. With a finished size of just 10 x 17.5 inches, all of the above was seamed and hemmed by hand, with extraordinarily skill and the tiniest of stitches. Clay’s engraved portrait was added by clipping it from a printed silk campaign ribbon and appliqueing it in the center of the starless canton. The image was derived from a work by artist John Neagle, who painted Clay from life in 1842 at his Lexington estate, called “Ashland,” in his home state of Kentucky. The inclusion of the window with its tasseled curtain represents an adaptation of Neagle’s rendering. It is of interest to note that the 1844 election was the first in which an incumbent president, John Tyler, sought nomination and didn’t get it, which made Polk a dark horse nominee. Joseph Smith, who founded the Mormon Church in 1847, ran as a third candidate. While a number of campaign flags survive from Polk’s campaign, none of any kind are known to exist from Smith. In summary, the fact that this is such an early flag among those produced for American presidential campaigns, in addition to its exquisite silk construction, being handmade and entirely hand sewn, and the fact that it includes other very important and unusual features within the realm of flag collecting, combine to make this an excellent addition to any collection of early political textiles, Henry Clay, Kentucky, or of early American flags in general. Other Pertinent Facts: The ribbon from which Clay’s portrait was taken is of a variety with a fancifully printed slogan along the top register that reads: “People’s Welfare My Reward,” and, beneath Clay’s name, a statement that reads: "Protection to American Industry is necessary to secure the Independence of our Country. And a National Bank is as necessary to a Nation as National Law." Although this references a previous political battle to uphold the Second National Bank, lost when Clay was defeated by Andrew Jackson in the presidential election of 1832, its presence in 1844 conveyed Clay’s effort to establish a national currency, as well as his stance on protecting American trade through the use of high tariffs. In addition to these things, Clay’s platform focused on a reduction of America’s reliance on foreign goods, the promotion of increased agriculture, and investment in things that would speed the nation into the industrial age. In the end, these issues were not as important to Americans as Westward Expansion, the platform of his successful Democrat opponent, James Polk. More Information on Henry Clay and his 1844 Vice Presidential Running Mate, Theodore Frelinghuysen: Henry Clay ran for president as a Democratic Republican in 1824, then as a National Republican in 1832, and as a Whig in 1844. The first of these may arguably have been the most interesting historically. In 1824 there were 4 candidates, all from one party (Democrat-Republican), including John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Clay. None garnered a large enough majority of the electoral vote to win. Adams won New England, while Jackson and Adams split the mid-Atlantic states, Jackson and Clay split the Western states, and Jackson and Crawford split the South. Jackson finished with a plurality of the popular vote (though there was none in six states, including New York, the most populous of these), and also of the electoral vote, while the other three candidates each finished with a significant share. Clay, who finished fourth, was eliminated. Lack of the required majority caused a contingent election to be held by the House of Representatives, of which Clay was the Speaker. Adams won and offered Clay an appointment to Secretary of State, which he had badly wanted in 1820, when President James Monroe had instead selected Adams. Following his 1825-1829 term of service, Clay returned to the Senate, where he served from 1831-1842, and then again from 1849-1852. Clay’s running mate, Theodore Frelinghuysen was born in Franklin, NJ in 1787. Before he ran for vice president, he was an attorney, served as New Jersey’s Attorney General (1817-1829), then a U.S. Senator (1829-1835), then Mayor of Newark (1837-38), then Chancellor of NYU (1839-1850), then President of Rutgers College (1850 until his death in 1862). His grandson was Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. The Frelinghuysen family represents a political dynasty in New Jersey, including a member of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, a delegate to Continental Congress, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, a U.S. Secretary of State, 3 United States Senators, and 2 members of the United States House of Representatives. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The circa 1820-1850, gilded American molding dates to the same era as the flag itself. This is a pressure mount between 100% cotton, black in color, that was washed and treated for colorfastness, and U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Condition: There is modest to moderate soiling along the fly end of the flag, accompanied by minor to modest bleaching and staining, and minor fraying. There is very minor staining elsewhere, throughout, in limited areas. Some of the stitching used to bind the hoist has come loose over time and is absent. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. |
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| Video: | |
| Collector Level: | Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything |
| Flag Type: | Sewn flag |
| Star Count: | |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1844 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1844 |
| State/Affiliation: | Kentucky |
| War Association: | 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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