
34 Stars, A Civil War Period Parade Flag On Its Original Staff
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34 Stars, A Civil War Period Parade Flag On Its Original Staff
About the Item
34 star American national flag, printed on fine, glazed cotton. Note how the stars point in various directions on their vertical axis, which adds a nice degree of folk quality to the presentation. This is heightened further by the large swath of white fabric that was left below the 13th stripe, which changes the flag’s proportions and lends surprisingly powerful graphics.
Another positive benefit is the attractive sheen provided by the glazing. And yet another can be found in the original wooden staff, which is both interesting and unique in my experience. Rather than being round or roughly hand-whittled, it is rectangular. Some Civil War parade flags have fat, square profiles with smoothed edges to deter splinters, but this one is thin and the corners are untended. The important things to note about this are one, that it is unusual, and two, that its presence adds a nice visual element to the overall appearance.
There is something about the combination of graphically positive features of this great little Civil War flag that make it extraordinary. In fact, I’d go so far as to call it just as appealing as those with circular or even Great Star patterns.
In terms of scarcity, the flag also scores high. I have owned a few in this basic style, with justified rows or columns of scattered stars, printed on glazed cotton, with orange stripes. But I have not owned many. Though they exist in other sizes, I cannot recall ever having owned this style in this particular size, with or without the extra white below the 13th stripe. I may have seen one or two previously, but I don’t recall with certainty and thus it can safely called rare.
Kansas was admitted into the Union as the 34th state on January 29th, 1861, about 2 ½ 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, but most flag makers would have added a 34th star with the addition of Kansas in January. The star count remained official until July 4th, 1863, and 34 star flags would have generally been produced until the addition of West Virginia in June of that year.
Mounting: The gilded molding dates to the period between 1870 and 1900. The flag has been hand-stitched to a background of 100% cotton twill, black in color. The cotton was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat treated for the same purpose. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is U.V. protective.
Condition: There is minor to moderate foxing and staining in the stripes, but there are no serious condition issues. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1861-63
- Condition:see description.
- Seller Location:York County, PA
- Reference Number:Seller: 34j-9141stDibs: U1011068497302
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