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38 Star American Parade Flags with Stars in a Great Star Pattern

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About the Item

38 STAR AMERICAN PARADE FLAG WITH A RARE AND BEAUTIFUL VARIATION OF THE “GREAT STAR” OR “GREAT FLOWER” PATTERN, 4 LARGE CORNER STARS, & AN ODD OUTLIER, 1876-1889, COLORADO STATEHOOD, EXTRAORDINARILY RARE 38 star American national parade flag, printed on silk, with deep, saturated shades of royal blue and scarlet red. The stars are arranged in what is known as the “Great Star” pattern, one large star made out of smaller ones. Great Stars come in many forms. Sometimes referred to as the “Great Luminary” pattern or the "Great Flower," one can see why latter term would be fitting here, in which the bulbous arms of the five-pointed star form open, conical loops like flower petals, surrounding a circular wreath of stars with a large star in the very center. Of particular interest is the single star placed adjacent to the Great Star, outside the basic pattern, situated between two of its arms. Known as an “outlier,” its presence strongly suggests the design originated with 37 stars, and that the flag-maker added an extra, in lieu of re-creating the entire arrangement. Note how it also left 4 open spaces for Western Territories yet to be added. It is of interest to note that a similar 38 star parade flag variety is known, also bearing the Great Star pattern and made of silk, though in a significantly smaller size. Instead of the single outlying star present here, the smaller variant displays a star between each arm of the Great Star except one, leaving room for an additional star. Though likewise rare, the smaller style is significantly more prevalent than its larger counterpart, in question here, of which only a scant few are known. I have owned 3 or 4 over a 26 year period, and framed another for a client, which represents either all of them presently known to exist, or very close to it. Colorado joined the Union as 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 remained the official star count until July 4th, 1877. Flag-making was a competitive venture, however, and few seem to have cared what was official. As soon as a new state was in, its star would have been added by almost all makers, both public and private. Some, in fact, would have begun adding a 38th star prior to Colorado’s acceptance, speculating its arrival. Almost none would have continued to produce 37 star flags when their competitors were making 38’s. It is for this reason that flags with 38 and 13 stars—the latter to reflect the original 13 colonies—are most frequently encountered at the Centennial International Exposition, the six-month long World’s Fair, held in Philadelphia, that served as the nucleus of the national celebration. It is of interest to note that many makers of printed parade flags were actually producing 39 star examples in 1876, in hopeful anticipation that two more Western Territories would be added, instead of just one. The 39th state would not join the Union for another 13 years, however, when the Dakota Territory entered as two separate states, (numbers 39 and 40,) on November 2nd, 1889. Montana entered just a few days later, on November 8th of the same year, followed by Washington State on November 11th. So within a period of just 9 days, 4 new states had joined the Union. It was at or around this time that the 38 star flag fell from regular use. President Ulysses S. Grant was in office when the first 38 star flags would have appeared. The list of presidents who served during the period when the 38 star flag was actually official include Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison. I have often referred to the “Great Star” configuration as the Rolls Royce of 19th century geometric patterns. In 1818, Congressman Peter Wendover, of New York requested that Captain Samuel Reid, a War of 1812 Naval hero, helped 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 remain 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 readily 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. Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The antique, gilded American molding dates to the period between 1820 and 1850 and is exceptional. The background fabric is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic. Condition: There are some vertical splits in the striped field, and a tiny amount of minor staining. The overall condition is exceptional for a silk flag of the period. Frame Size (H x L): 20.5" x 26.75" Flag Size (H x L): 11.75" x 17.75"

Dimensions:
Height: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)Width: 26.75 in (67.95 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Silk
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1876-1889
Condition:
See Item Description.
Seller Location:
York County, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 38j-11801stDibs: LU849744858502

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

Located in York County, PA

34 STARS IN A WHIMSICAL RENDITION OF THE GREAT STAR PATTERN, ON A CIVIL WAR PERIOD FLAG WITH A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, UPDATED TO 39 STARS IN 1876 34 star American national flag with additional stars added and one of the most stunning graphic designs I have ever seen in early flag-making. The original pattern was comprised of a circle of 5 large stars, and triangular arms made of smaller stars. These are noticeable pointy and bent like the arms of a starfish. Made of cotton, the stars are hand-sewn and double-appliquéd to a fantastic, cornflower blue canton, a color common to Civil War uniforms...

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