Teddy Roosevelt and His Great White Fleet American Flag, ca 1907-1909

46 star antique American flag in an exceptionally small scale among its pieced-and-sewn counterparts, reflects oklahoma statehood, circa 1907-1912: 46 star American national flag in a tiny and very rare scale among its counterparts of the period with pieced-and-sewn construction. The 46th state, Oklahoma, joined the Union on November 16th, 1907, during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency. Roosevelt had many friends in the Oklahoma Territory...

Turkey red bandanna, made for the 1912 presidential campaign of teddy Roosevelt, when he ran on the independent, progressive party (bull moose) ticket Printed cotton kerchief, made for the 1912 presidential campaign of Theodore Roosevelt when he ran on the Progressive Party ticket (a.k.a., the Bull Moose campaign). This graphic textile, in a classic, western style, typical of the iconic red bandanna, is indicative of both the Republican Party in the late 19th century, and T.R.’s love of the American West. In this example, a geometric design with diamonds, surrounded by multiple, linear borders, is accompanied by the following text along the top and bottom that reads: “The Roosevelt Bandanna” and “Progressive Party,” respectively. A maker’s mark in the lower right corner reads “Cochranes Mfg. Co.” Cochrane’s was known for their long-lasting, red dye process, called “Cochrane’s Turkey Red.”. It was really a process, as opposed to a dye itself, to which the name applied. The dye was actually a derived from a synthetic colorant called “alizarin,” imported by Alexander Cochrane’s family, who emigrated to the United States from 1847, and owned a chemical company in Massachusetts that produced the dye. The fabrics were produced by the family of John Cochrane, who emigrated from Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1844. Both families, who resided in Malden, Massachusetts initially, traced their ancestry to Barrhead, Scotland, in the heart of the textile-producing region, near Glasgow and Paisley. It was in Glascow that Turkey Red printed bandannas are said to have originated, in the shop of Henry Monteith & Company, in 1802.* TR's decision to enter the 1912 election was not exactly popular among many of his friends and former supporters. His participation manifested into a unique political incident, in which the independent, Roosevelt, beat out a major party ticket, garnering 27.4% of the vote. At the same time, however, he lost the White House, not only for himself, but for his former Republican friends as well, by dividing support between his own candidacy and that of incumbent President William Howard Taft...

38 star antique American parade flag with scattered star orientation, made of silk, with generous scale and vivid colors, Colorado Statehood, 1876-1889 38 star American national p...

32 STARS IN A VERY UNUSUAL NOTCHED VERSION OF THE “GREAT STAR” PATTERN, WITH TWO STARS ABSENT AT THE EXTREME POINTS OF EACH ARM, MADE IN THE PERIOD WHEN MINNESOTA JOINED THE UNION AS...

38 HAND-SEWN STARS IN A "NOTCHED" PATTERN, ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH BEAUTIFUL WEAR FROM HAVING BEEN EXTENSIVELY FLOWN, MADE AT THE TIME WHEN COLORADO WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, 1876-1889 38 star Antique American flag, made during the period when Colorado was the most recent state to join the Union. The stars are arranged in what is known as a "notched" pattern, in which two spaces were left open along the hoist end, in the first and last rows, in anticipation that two more Western Territories would soon join the Union. The latter 19th century was a time of when much of the land in and about the Continental Divide was formalized into states, and there was continual speculation about which ones would be accepted next, and with what boundaries. The stars of the flag are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with a lineal, treadle stitch. The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with treadle stitching. The canton was constructed from five separate lengths of fabric, which is an unusual feature, though hardly unknown. To each of these a row of stars was sewn. This manner of construction is sometimes encountered and tends to be an early trait, at least when it occurs in flags of this scale and smaller. When encountered, it also seems to have been preferred in flags meant for maritime use. While the feature does not by any means guarantee this fact, it is a reasonable, educated guess, based upon my examination of many other examples. A flag with a 5-piece canton, such as this, would have been less likelihood to stretch, with increased structural integrity. The alternative is that this was simply an example made when there were at least five pieces of leftover fabric, of a reasonable size to made individual rows, and that what it actually demonstrates is the careful conservation of scarce resources. There is a sailcloth canvas binding along the hoist, with 3 brass grommets, evenly spaced. Perhaps the best feature of the flag is the evidence it displays of having been extensively flown, with the fly end whipped out from wind exposure. While many flags display damage from a combination of having been flown, exposure to the elements, various mishaps, and improper storage, very few exhibit wear such as this, which is both endearingly and visually attractive. This one shows its age beautifully, whipped out along the fly end, with losses that convey an element of movement, that most flags don’t capture in the state in which they survive. Colorado became the 38th state on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation’s 100-year anniversary of independence. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added until the 4th of July following a state's addition. For this reason, 37 was the official star count for the American flag in 1876. Flag-making was a competitive venture, however, and few flag-makers would have been continuing to produce 37 star flags, when their competitors were making 38’s. It is for this reason that 38 and 13 stars (to represent the original 13 colonies...

Antique American Flag With 36 Stars On A Cornflower Blue Canton, Civil War Era, 1864-1867, Reflects The Addition Of Nevada As The 36th State; A Great Folk Exaple With Haphazard Rows Of Starfish-like Stars: 36 star American national flag of the Civil War era with outstanding collector traits. Haphazard rows of fat, starfish-shaped stars fill most of the confines of a brilliant, cornflower blue canton. Note the crude piecing of the thirteen, red and white stripes, joined in an ill-planned manner that results in great variation in width, as well as general irregularity. The 4th red stripe actually falls slightly below the canton, and the height of each does not line up with the corresponding stripe on the reverse. This can clearly be seen at the fly end, which is is turned back and bound to repair obvious extended use in an outdoor environment. Clearly the maker lacked experience in seam work. Lining up the necessary components, so that they could be viewed on both sides, presented a challenge they may have not previously faced. This is also evident in the sewing of the stars, which do not line up on the obverse and reverse sides, as they typically would in a flag sewn by an experienced flag-maker. That said, this is just this kind of homemade charm that fuels interest in early American flags...

The stars of this extremely rare, Civil War-era flag are arranged in what is sometimes called the "Great Flower" pattern, a large star made out of smaller stars -- named as such beca...

Presenting A Very Important Teddy Roosevelt Letter from White House June 1907. On ‘The White House’ letterhead. Typed and personally signed and amended by President Theodore Roosevelt. With it’s original White House envelope, stamp and postage marks. Dated June 14th 1907. What makes this letter so important is the author, the office and the content. It refers to the beliefs and opinions of the then President and First Lady (Edith) towards the women’s sufferage and empowerment movement that was the ‘hot topic’ of the time. It is addressed to Eliza Calvert Obenchain who was a well known author at the end of the 19th Century and Early 20th Century. In 1905, Teddy referred to her book “Aunt Jane of Kentucky’ in a speech and recommended that every man in America should read it to understand ‘the plight of their womenfolk’. He regularly corresponded with her and we have a number of those letters in our collection. It appears that both he and Edith became big fans of Mrs Obenchain who was also heavily involved in the Suffragist movement. The letters also provide a fascinating and historic record of Roosevelt’s personal beliefs and feelings on female empowerment. The Letter Reads: The White House Washington Oyster Bay, N.Y., June 14, 1907 Personal “Dear Mrs. Obenchain: I gladly accept the autographed copy of “Aunt Jane” which you have been so kind to send me. But Aunt Jane is so good and so wise that she must not (amount “race (illegible)) fall into the terrible mistake of the self-indulgent, selfish, shortsighted women, cold in heart and in temper, who shirk the duties of mother-hood and then try to cover up to themselves and to others their cowardice or self-indulgence by making believe they are actuated by wise or lofty motives. * With great regard, believe me, Sincerely yours, Theodore Roosevelt *And she must not give aid and comfort to unsexed or sexless creatures by a jest which they may take for earnest ! Mrs. Eliza Calvert Obenchain, Bowling Green, Kentucky.“ The envelope is From: The White House. Addressed to: Mrs. Eliza Calvert Obenchain, Bowling Green, Kentucky and marked ‘Personal’. It is stamped on the front as posted from Oyster Bay, New York Post Office on June 16 1907. It has a red 2 Cent...

This is an original 46-Star American parade flag, celebrating Oklahoma statehood. Each star on the flag's canton represents a state in the Union at the time. The official flag design would update every July 4th, to include any new states added to the Union in the past year. Oklahoma, the 46th state, entered the Union on November 16, 1907. As such, this 46–star flag was the official flag of the United States from July 4, 1908, until July 4, 1912. The silk flag has a dark blue canton with 46 white printed stars. The stars are printed in an 7-8-8-8-8-7 row configuration, or “Drum design.” The flag design is completed with 13 alternating red and white stripes, each stripe representing one of the original thirteen colonies. The land that comprises Oklahoma today was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the U.S. government relocated Indian tribes from the southeastern United States to the area, and by 1900, over 30 Indian tribes had been moved to what was originally called the Indian Territories. At the same time, ranchers in Texas began to move into the area in search of new pasture lands. Although stipulations in the Indian Relocation Act agreed that the land would forever be Indian Territory, the promise of fertile farmland trumped the government’s promise of sovereignty. On April 22, 1889, they opened the land to settlement by homesteaders, creating a land run in which settlers, called “Boomers,” were allowed to cross the Texas or Arkansas border at a particular hour to claim homesteads. Settlers who illegally crossed the border earlier to stake prime land were called “sooners,” which eventually became the state’s nickname. Wagons and the Santa Fe railroad carried cartloads of men and women to blank town sites and building plots, creating ten thousand-people communities in a matter of days. The following year, the region was further divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory...

This is a 39-star unofficial American flag, handmade and printed on cotton. The flag dates to 1889 and has a unique history, thanks to its rare star-count. The flag’s canton is prin...

This is a rare 31-star medallion printed American flag, celebrating the addition of California to the Union. The flag is printed on silk and has a spectacular “Great Star” canton pat...

Monumental fifteen foot 42 star American flag, circa 1889-1890. The 42-star flag is rare because only a limited number of 42-star flags were produced after Washington became a state on Nov. 11, 1889. But it takes a more intimate knowledge of flag trivia to know just why it happened this way. White stars are added to the blue field of the star-spangled banner on the Fourth of July after a state is admitted to the union. In the fall of 1889, several western territories became states. Dakota was admitted, and then split into North and South Dakota, on Nov. 2, 1889, which made them state and star numbers 39 and 40. Montana was named the 41st state on Nov. 8, followed by Washington, on Nov. 11. Only a few flag manufacturers began producing 42-star flags before the official addition of the 42nd star on July 4, 1890. Those who tried to jump the gun by being the first to produce an up-to-date flag were surprised when Idaho was admitted to the United States on July 3...