Thirty-Six Stars on a Bright Blue, Civil War Era Canton

36 Stars In The "Great Star" Or "Great Luminary" Pattern On A Civil War Era Flag With A Dusty Blue Canton And A Section Of One Stripe Souvenired, 1864-67, Nevada Statehood 36 star American national flag of the Civil War era, entirely hand-sewn and with some rare and beautiful features. The stars are arranged in a rendition of what is known as the Great Star or Great Luminary configuration, a large star made out of smaller stars. With no official star pattern before 1912, their design was left up to the artistic liberties of the flag-maker. Strikingly visual, the Great Star is both scarce and coveted by collectors. The 36th state, Nevada, entered the Union during the Civil War on October 31st, 1864. The last Confederate general surrendered on May 26th, 1865. The 36 star flag became official on July 4th of that year, but makers of printed flags would have begun adding a 36th star to their flags in 1864, even before the addition of the new state occurred. Lincoln pushed Nevada through just 8 days before the November election. Nevada’s wealth in silver was attractive to a nation struggling with the debts of war and increased support for the Republican ticket. The 36 star flag was replaced by the 37 star flag in 1867, with the addition of Nebraska. Adding to the flag's appeal is its small scale across those with of piece-and-sewn construction. During the 19th century, sewn flags (as opposed to those that were printed on cloth) were typically eight feet long and larger. This is because they were important in their function as signals, meaning that they needed to be seen and recognized from great distance. A flag that was six feet in length was considered small and production of flags smaller than this was extremely limited. Even infantry battle flags were approximately six by six and-one-half feet, about the size of an average quilt of the same period. As time passed, circumstances changed and sewn flags began to find more of a decorative purpose. Smaller flags are more scarce and far easier to frame and display. The Great Star configuration appears to have come about shortly after the War of 1812, when Congressman Peter Wendover of New York requested that Captain Samuel Reid, a War of 1812 naval hero, create a new design that would become the third official format of the Stars & Stripes. A recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Reid became harbor master of New York following the war. During his lifetime, he created many innovations in signal use, including a system that could actually send messages from New York to New Orleans by sea in just two hours. Use as a Naval signal had been the primary reason for the initial creation of an American national flag in 1777, but since there was no official star design, the appearance of our flag varied greatly. Reid’s primary concern centered on both consistency and ease of recognition. His hope was as more and more states joined the Union and more and more stars were added to the flag, that it would remain easily identified on the open seas. In 1818, Reid suggested to Congress that the number of stripes permanently return to 13 (reduced from 15) and that the stars be grouped into the shape of one large star. Reid’s proposal would have kept the star constellation in roughly the same format, in a pattern that could be quickly identified through a spyglass as the number of states grew. His concept for the stripes was ultimately accepted, but his advice on the star pattern was rejected by President James Monroe, due to the increased cost of arranging the stars in what would become known as the “Great Star”, “Great Flower”, or “Great Luminary” pattern. Monroe probably didn’t wish to impose this cost on either the government or civilians, so he suggested a simple pattern of justified rows. Never-the-less, the Great Star was produced by anyone willing to make it and its rarity today, along with its beauty, has driven the desirability of American flags with this configuration. The canton and stripes of the flag are made of fine merino wool. Note how the canton has faded to a dusty seafoam blue, which is endearingly attractive. The stars of the flag are hand-sewn and single-appliquéd. This means that they were applied to one side of the canton, then the blue fabric was cut from behind each star, folded over, and under-hemmed, so that one star could be viewed on both sides of the flag. I always find single-appliquéd stars more interesting, not only because they are evidence of a more difficult level of seam-work and stitching, but also because they are more visually intriguing. The two visible rows of hand-stitching emphasize their hand-sewn construction, which is one reason why flags with single-appliquéd stars often appeal to connoisseurs of early American textiles...

34 STARS WITH "DANCING" OR "TUMBLING" ORIENTATION, ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH EXTRAORDINARY COLORS, PRESS-DYED ON WOOL BUNTING, LIKELY PRODUCED FOR USE AS MILITARY CAMP COLORS,...

34 STARS IN AN OUTSTANDING OVAL MEDALLION CONFIGURATION, ON A NARROW CANTON THAT RESTS ON THE 6TH STRIPE, ON A HOMEMADE, ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD, ENTIRELY HAND-...

1862 Civil War playing cards with stars, flags, shields, & eagles, and face cards illustrating civil war officers and lady, Columbia, ca 1862, Benjamin Hitchcock, New York 1862 Civil War playing cards with suits represented by stars, flags, shields, & eagles, in lieu of the traditional French suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. The face cards feature Union Army officers and Lady Columbia [a.k.a. Lady Liberty, Goddess of Liberty]. Entitled “Union Playing Cards,” two versions of this deck were produced in New York by Benjamin W. Hitchcock’s “American Card Company.” This is the earlier of the two. The other was released in 1863. There are 52 cards in total with the ace of spades doubling as the title card, as was often the case during the 19th century. The telescoping box...

PATRIOTIC SILK KERCHIEF OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WITH AN ENGRAVED IMAGE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, CROSSED 34 STAR FLAGS, AN EAGLE, AND "UNION FOREVER" SLOGAN: Patriotic kerchiefs that date prior to the 1876 Centennial of American Independence are rare among surviving 19th century textiles. Printed on silk and made during the opening years of the Civil War, this example consists of a white ground with red and blue borders. Inside is a prominent, copper engraved, device that consists of a large image of George Washington, crowned by a spread winged eagle that grasps a billowing streamer in its beak and talons. The ribbon boasts the Federal sentiment "Union Forever." The likeness of Washington is derived from Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum portrait. Below this is a facsimile of Washington's signature, cradled by crossed American flags, each with 34 stars arranged in circular medallions. Although political textile historian Herbert Ridgway Collins associated this kerchief with the centennial of American independence,* there is overwhelming evidence that it was produced earlier. The large scale is much more indicative of kerchiefs produced in the 1860's and prior. Made of silk, the binding is hand-stitched, which is also common of those produced before 1876. When these facts are added to the pro-Union Civil War slogan and flags in the 34 star count, the combination of all these factors points firmly to Civil War period manufacture. Kansas was admitted into the Union as the 34th state on January 29th, 1861, about two-and-a-half months before the Confederate assault on Fort Sumter that marked the beginning of the Civil War. The 34th star was officially added on July 4th of that year and the star count remained official until July 4th, 1863. Further evidence can be found in an example of this kerchief that resides in the collection of the Adams County, Pennsylvania Historical Society, with firm provenance to a woman by the name of Emma Yount. The story goes like this: “With the Battle of Gettysburg looming and the countryside in turmoil, the Union cavalry rode into Gettysburg on the afternoon of June 30, 1863. The troopers dismounted and lounged in the town while awaiting further orders. During that time, the seven year old daughter of innkeeper Israel Yount, Emma, was playing outside their home when a cavalryman asked her to come and visit with him while he was resting. The cavalryman told her that he missed his young daughter at home and asked if little Emma would hug and kiss him on the cheek to remind him of his daughter, who he felt he might not ever see again. Emma asked her mother if she could do as the cavalryman suggested, and her mother considered the circumstances and allowed Emma to do so. Before leaving, the cavalryman gave young Emma a silk handkerchief he was carrying that featured George Washington's image and patriotic border and flags. Emma kept that handkerchief until her death in 1946 and it was then donated to the Adams County Historical Society.” The trio of brass rings, hand-sewn along the top edge, would have been added by a former owner so that it could be hung vertically. The textile itself is both beautiful in design and rare. Outside of an example pictured by Collins in his book “Threads of History” (Smithsonian Press, 1979), and the copy in the Adams County Historical Society, only three others like it are known to have surfaced, including this example. This condition is excellent for the period and it survives as an exceptional relic of the War Between the States. It is of interest to note that kerchief bears marked similarities to another, especially rare, pro-Union variety, that was produced in London for the American market. Notably larger in scale, but very much alike in terms of the fabric, the printing, the shades of red and blue, the verbiage, and the general overall graphic feel, it was produced by Foster & Porter, a known, English maker of printed kerchiefs. Instead of featuring George Washington, the imagery centers on a large cannon...

"RALLY FREEMEN! …COME ONE! COME ALL! AND SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR THE BEST COUNTRY ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH." A CIVIL WAR RECRUITMENT BROADSIDE FOR THE...

This fabulous 48 star Patriotic quilt has the embroidered title "Stars and Stripes Forever." The stripes of the flag are created in an unusual way. Rather than using horizontal stri...

An American Civil War era African American Southern quilt circa the 1860-1870s from Alabama or Georgia in the American deep south.  The quilt is hand stitched from wool and homespun blankets.   The design consists of squares of diagonally stitched pieces of clothing material in navy blue, brown, red and gray pieces.  The material is probably clothing from the American Civil War era that has been repurposed into this beautiful folk art creation by African Americans in the deep south.   The backing of the quilt is made of red and gray stripe textile.   19th century African American Southern Quilts have become very collectable and extremely desirable.  From the collection of an attorney who has been practicing Civil Rights Law in the deep south states including Alabama and Georgia, with the interest of the African American Civil War era folk art creations. Dimensions: 63” x 73” Date of Manufacture: 3rd Quarter of the 1800s Place of Origin: Alabama, United States Material: Cotton, wool Condition: Good African American Quilts...

Nothing could be more of the moment than this patriotic flag quilt depicting Old Glory. It was most likely made either for the admission of Arizona into st...

This amazing and most unusual 19Thc folky stars blue & white quilt was found in New England and in fine condition. Most unusual hand appliqued floating stars throughout.This is more ...

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...

Vibrant and unusual combination of a Garden Maze quilt pattern with LeMoyne Stars. In addition, Stars around the maze make a lively design with their...