35 HAND-EMBROIDERED STARS IN 3 DIFFERENT SIZES

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35 HAND-EMBROIDERED STARS IN 3 DIFFERENT SIZES

About the Item

35 HAND-EMBROIDERED STARS IN 3 DIFFERENT SIZES, ARRANGED IN THE FORM OF A WHIMSICAL “GREAT STAR” PATTERN, A MASTERPIECE AMONG KNOWN EXAMPLES, IN A RARE SMALL SIZE, MADE OF SILK, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD, 1863-65:

This exceptional Civil War era flag with 35 stars is extraordinary for several reasons. The foremost among these is the striking “Great Star” configuration, a large star made out of smaller stars, which appears in a canted position on a beautiful, royal blue canton. Among flag collectors, the Great Star configuration is considered the Rolls Royce of all 19th century geometric patterns. It probably came about shortly before 1818, when Congressman Peter Wendover of New York requested that Captain Samuel Reid, a War of 1812 Naval hero, help to create a new design that would become the third official format of the Stars & Stripes. The primary concern of ship captains was that the signal remained easily recognized on the open seas. Reid’s concept of placing all the stars in a star-shaped pattern would have kept the constellation in roughly the same format as the number of states grew and more stars were added, in a distinct design that could be quickly identified through a spyglass. Though his proposal was rejected by President Monroe, due to the increased cost of arranging the stars in this manner, the Great Star was produced by anyone willing to make it. Its rarity today, along with its beauty, has driven its desirability among collectors.

Note in particular that the stars appear in three different sizes. A large star is placed at the tip of each arm and at the apex of each valley between the arms. Note how these interior points form a pentagon, which is a shape that appears on various other Civil War flags. The remainder of the star-shaped perimeter is made up of smaller stars. In the center is a medallion made up of 4 of the same small stars, which lie in an unexpected trapezoid that surrounds a single, tiny center star. Because there was no official star configuration for the American national flag until 1912, before this time the design was up to the flag-maker. The same was true of the size of the stars, the number of points that they had, the overall proportions of the flag and its canton, and the shades of red and blue. Although the reason that this particular flag-maker decided to use three sizes of stars and place them in this fashion is not known, their dimensions and their particular distribution add a tremendous folk feature to this already fantastic design.

Another important factor is the small size of the flag, which is unusual for the 19th century. Today, in the 21st century, flags with pieced and sewn construction that measure five feet long or shorter are commonplace. Prior to the 1890’s, however, sewn flags of this size are considered extraordinarily small. Parade flags (also called hand-wavers), were printed on cloth or paper. These generally measured three feet long or smaller and were made for short-term use at parades, reunions, and rallies. Their sewn counterparts, however, made for long-term outdoor use, were typically between eight and twenty feet in length, sometimes even larger. This is because the purpose of flags in the 19th century and prior was primarily as signals that needed to be seen from a distance to be effective. This changed as we moved into the 20th century. As time passed their use became more and more decorative, for the general display of patriotism. In the 19th century, even those flags made for decorative purpose were often large by today’s standards, so the average 19th century sewn flag can be cumbersome to frame and display in an indoor setting. This is why many collectors prefer printed parade flags and smaller sewn flags, such as this one, the size of which is ideal for a balance of visual impact and versatility.

Both the canton and the stripes are made of silk, which was the most expensive fabric used in flag-making and generally the most desired among collectors. The piecing was accomplished with treadle stitching. The stars are hand-embroidered with silk thread. There is no formal sleeve. Instead the flag would have been intended to be tacked to a wooden staff at many points along the hoist binding.

The combination of striking design, small size and desirable construction combine to place the flag among the top examples that I have ever owned from the Civil War period.

West Virginia entered the Union as the 35th state on June 20th, 1863, and this flag was used during the closing years of the Civil War. Although 35 was the official star count until July 4th, 1865, most flag making that was not under military contract would have included a 36th star after the addition of Nevada on October 31st, 1864. This means that 35 star flags were realistically produced for less than a year and a half.

Mounting: This is a sandwich mount between 100% cotton and U.V. protective acrylic. The background fabric, black in color, has been washed to remove 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. The mount was placed in a hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding with a wide, convex profile.

Condition: The condition is nothing short of extraordinary; a virtual 10-out-of-10 when compared to all 19th century examples.

Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1863-65
Condition:
see description.
Seller Location:
York County, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 35j-8491stDibs: U1011128497304

34 Star American flag, Updated to 39 Stars, with Stars in a Great Star Pattern

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13 Haloed Stars in A Medallion Configuration, ca 1876

Located in York County, PA

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