| WWII LIBERATION FLAG w/ 23 SILVER GILT STARS ON A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON & 16 STRIPES, MADE TO WELCOME U.S. TROOPS IN FRANCE FOLLOWING LIBERATION FROM THE GERMANS IN THE WAKE OF THE 1944 NORMANDY INVASION; FOUND IN BRITTANY, IN LE CONQUET, THE WESTERNMOST TOWN ON THE FRENCH MAINLAND, LIBERATED BY THE FREE FRENCH & THE 5TH ARMY RANGER BATTALION |
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| Web ID: | 23j-806 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | Approx. 32" x 37.5" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 20.25" x 24" |
| Description: | |
| French-made variant of the Stars & Stripes with a striking colors, 23 stars, 16 stripes, and beautiful graphics. Found in Brittany, in the coastal village of Le Conquet, the westernmost town in mainland France, the flag is indicative of examples produced in make-do fashion during WWII (American involvement 1941-45) by the private citizens of Europe. Such flags were displayed with great emotion upon the arrival of Allied Forces into one community after the next, following successful liberation from the Nazi Germany. In France, this took place in 1944, in the wake of the June 6th Normandy invasion. The count of stripes and stars are a simple result of the fact that Europeans were oftentimes unfamiliar with the corresponding numbers. In this instance, that part happens to be correct. The 48-star, 13-stripe flag became official in 1912, following the addition of New Mexico and Arizona. It remained the official flag throughout WWI (U.S. involvement 1917-1918), WWII, and the Korean War (1950-53), until Alaska gained statehood in 1959 and the 49th star was added. Le Conquet itself was liberated by a combination of Free French soldiers and the U.S. 5th Ranger Battalion in September of 1944, culminating with a parade of celebration on September 9th. This was part of an ongoing evacuation of the German occupation along the coastline by the 5th Rangers, during the Brittany Campaign, that concluded on September 17th. The following day the 5th Ranger Battalion was re-designated as the 12th U.S. Army Group Reserve. On December 1st, 1944, the unit was consolidated into the 6th Cavalry and left for the invasion of Germany. This is a one-sided flag, typical of those produced in haste and at a time of ration. The canton is made of two lengths of cornflower blue silk that have been joined by treadle stitching, on which five-pointed stars had been previously applied in silver gilt. The fabric was obviously salvaged from whatever was available, perhaps from some sort of sash, as evidenced by both the narrow width of the cloth, as well as the fact that the stars oppose one another on the two lengths, in terms of their vertical orientation. In other words, this was previously a single length of fabric, clipped in the center, with the two sections rotated toward one another, so that they were aligned, and joined. The fact that the stars existed before the flag is, in part, evidenced by some of their points having been folded under when the canton was applied. The blue silk was appliqued to a length of red and white striped, twill-woven fabric that serves as the striped field. Every bit as unusual as the gilded stars and every bit as beautiful as the blue silk, I have never seen this particular variety. Almost certainly of French origin, made of cotton, perhaps with some wool content, it is of notably high quality, very soft and with a wide selvedge along the last red stripe. The remainder of the field was finished with hand-stitching. The top and fly ends were hemmed by hand. The hoist was rolled over and hand-sewn to form a wide, open sleeve, this having been executed before the canton was applied. Both fabrics are antique. The silk is almost certainly mid-latter 19th century and the striped cloth circa 1875-1910. A long length of braided hemp or jute rope was applied to the flag with hand-stitching at the top, bottom, and center of the fly end. It seems most likely that the flag was hung vertically by the owner, who would have inserted a staff through the sleeve, then tied the bottom corners into place. Note how the blue canton rests on a red stripe, as opposed to white. When this occurs, some flag historians have referred to this as the “blood stripe” or the “war stripe”, suggesting that the flag was constructed in this fashion when the nation was at war. In actuality, because there was no official legislation regarding this facet of American flag design until 1912, there was no specified position. In this instance, the maker clearly had no concept of even the most fundamental details, past the fact that the American flag was to have some number of stars on a blue union and some number of red and white stripes. In spite of the obvious lack of any such knowledge or intention, the war stripe feature is pretty much universally appreciated by collectors. This isn’t the only instance of unintentional importance with regard to this Liberation flag. One of the reasons that antique American flags with 23 stars are of interest to collectors, in spite of their precise period of manufacture, or the purpose thereof, is simply due to the rarity of examples of any kind. Because the lifespan of 23 star flags encompassed a very narrow window, examples that are period to when America had 23 states are beyond rare. Maine joined the Union as the 23rd state on March 15th, 1820. According to the Third Flag Act, passed by Congress on April 4, 1818, stars were to be officially added on Independence Day following a state's addition. Flag makers both private and commercial didn't generally care what was official, instead preferring whatever was practical. A star can thus be expected to have been added as soon as a state was in, if not even sometimes beforehand, in hopeful anticipation. So while the 23rd star was officially added on July 4th, 1820, and the 23 star flag technically remained official for 2 years, until July 3rd, 1822, the flag would have generally fallen from use with the addition of Missouri as the 24th state on August 10th, 1821. This means that 23 star flags would have generally had a lifespan of less than a year-and-a-half. Flag production was very low at this point in American history to begin with. At this time, use of the Stars & Stripes was primarily limited to ships, government and military landmarks. Ground forces were not yet authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes and display by private individuals was miniscule--nothing like it would be in years to come and nothing like today. There is one masthead pennant / ship’s commission pennant with 23 stars that dates to the period to when Maine was the most recent state to join the Union; but no surviving 23 star American national flag is documented in any text on flag history or flag collecting, that actually dates to this period, and I am likewise unaware of any which are extant yet remain unpublished.* The above facts make 23 star flags of any early period interesting to a collector who wishes to own every star count, or to anyone who wishes to possess something to reflect the order in which Maine was admitted. To have an association with WWII and the expulsion of Nazi Germany by American forces is a wonderful bonus to someone wishing to have a flag in the 23 star count. Due to the combination of the flag’s excellent visual aspects, host of unusual features, rare star count, and compelling, historic, wartime function, this is a wonderful example for any collection. Provenance: Ex-Bruce Smith. * Some 23 star flags are known that are claimed to date from this early period, but are inaccurately attributed. 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 background fabric is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The mount was placed in a black-painted, gilded, and distressed Italinan molding with a wide, shaped profile. The glazing is U.V. Protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: The overall condition is extraordinary for the period, with but minor imperfections and very minor soiling. 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: | 23 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1944 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1944 |
| State/Affiliation: | Maine |
| War Association: | WW 2 |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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