13 Star Flag with Stars in a 3-2-3-2-3 Lineal Configuration

38 WHIMSICAL STARS, WITH 6-POINTED PROFILES, SIMILAR TO THE STAR OF DAVID, ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG OF THE CENTENNIAL ERA; A REMARKABLE SPECIMEN, ONE-OF-A-KIND AMONG KNOWN EXAMPLE...

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...

38 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A DOUBLE-WREATH CONFIGURATION THAT FEATURES AN ENORMOUS CENTER STAR, REFLECTS THE PERIOD OF COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889: 38 star American national flag, made entirely of plain weave cotton. The stars are arranged in a medallion configuration. This features an enormous center star, surrounded by two wreaths of much smaller stars, with a flanking star in each corner of the blue canton. The sort of disparity here, present in the scale of the large star, versus those around it, is both exceptionally unusual and graphically dynamic. Colorado became the 38th state on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation’s centennial. 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 remained the official star count for the American flag until part way through the following year. Flag-making was a competitive venture, however, and few flag-makers would have continued to produce 37 star flags when their competitors were making 38’s. Many flag-makers added a 38th star before Colorado entered the Union, in the early part of 1876, or possibly even prior. In fact, many makers of printed flags, called parade flags or hand-wavers, were actually producing flags in the 39 star count, in hopeful anticipation of the addition of two more Western Territories instead of one. It is for these reasons that 38, 39, and 13 stars, to representing the original 13 colonies, are most often seen on flags displayed at the Centennial International Exhibition. Hosted in Philadelphia, this enormous event was our nation’s first World’s Fair, lasted for a duration of six months, and served as the nucleus of celebrations held to honor America’s 100-year anniversary of independence. The 38 star flag became official on July 4th, 1877 and was generally used until the 39th state was added in November of 1889. This is probably a homemade flag, though sewn by a very skilled hand, or possibly, by two different individuals. The stripes are pieced and sewn entirely by hand, with remarkable care and precision. The canton is constructed of two lengths of blue fabric, that have been joined with treadle stitching. This was joined to the striped field by hand. The stars are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with treadle stitching. There is a treadle-sewn, cotton binding along the hoist, with five, hand-sewn grommets. It is extremely unusual to encounter this combination of sewing methods. Soon after the sewing machine was mass-marketed, in the mid-1850’s, flag-makers both public and private made good use of treadle machines, to join stripes, when constructing American flags. During the Civil War (1861-65), most stripes were treadle-sewn. Stars were another matter. Until the advent of electric machines...

34 Upside-down, Hand-sewn Stars In A Notched Configuration, On An Antique American Flag Of The Civil War Period, With A Beautiful And Highly Unusual Jacquard Weave Binding, And In A Tiny Scale Among Its Counterparts, Reflects The Addition Of Kansas As The 34th State, 1861-1863 34 star American national flag with a number of interesting and desirable features. Chief among these is the scale of the flag among counterparts of the period. At just three by four feet, its size is absolutely tiny among those with pieced-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, carried on foot, were approximately six by six and-one-half feet, about the size of an average quilt of the same period. It wasn't until the 1890’s that manufacturers began to produce smaller sewn flags in great quantity. The stars of the flag are arranged in justified lineal rows, the first of which contains one fewer star. This results in what I call a “notched” design, leaving one space open for the addition of another star. The blank space leaves little doubt that the maker of the flag assumed that another Western Territory would soon acquire statehood, or that West Virginia might soon break free from Virginia, which occurred in June of 1863. Note how the stars are oriented so that they are upside-down on their vertical axis, with two points up instead of one. No one knows if this positioning bore any particular meaning. Both modern notions of the correct orientation of a star, and the present official design of the American flag, dictate that the stars are supposed to have one point up. Since there was no official design for the flag until 1912, however, it may simply be that the maker of the flag did not consider any particular position to be right-side-up or upside-down. In the mid-19th century, it was not uncommon to see stars pointing any which way, varied throughout whatever arrangement was chosen. Whatever the case may be, the feature present on this particular flag is unusual to the eye and notable in terms of its presentation. Made of cotton, the stars are hand-sewn and double-appliquéd (applied to both sides). The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting. Because blue wool bunting generally came in a width of 18", the canton was pieced from two lengths of fabric, joined by hand-stitching. The canton is joined to the striped field by hand-stitching. The stripes are pieced and hemmed by treadle stitching. Made of heavy, polished, jacquard weave linen, the binding of the flag is both exceptional from a textile connoisseur’s perspective and highly unusual. This is joined to the flag by treadle stitching. There are two brass grommets, one each at the top and bottom of the hoist, which are likewise especially unusual, in that they are both heavier than normal and intentionally hammered flat. I have seen this on only one other occasion in a Civil War flag...

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 striking 38-star American flag. The flag dates to 1876-1890, when Colorado (represented by the large star in the center of the flag’s canton) joined the Union as the 38th s...

Monumental 50 star American Flag with antique Federal Eagle brass and wood pole. A patriotic piece suitable for any home. This set includes both ...

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...