Antique American Private Yacht Flag, Marked US Army Standard Bunting, 1895-1910

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Antique American Private Yacht Flag, Marked US Army Standard Bunting, 1895-1910

About

The medallion configuration, 13-star, 13-stripe flag with a canted center anchor was entered into official use in 1848, following an act of Congress, that made it the official signal for U.S. pleasure sailing vessels. The need for such a flag arose with the popularity of boating as a pastime for well-to-do Americans, and as a competitive sport, in addition to its longstanding utilitarian role as a vehicle of trade. In early America, all boats were subject to customs searches at every port. Without modern income tax, the federal government derived its revenues mostly from tariffs, so an accounting of foreign goods on ships was a critical venture. As yachting for pleasure became more prevalent, however, more and more time was spent searching boats that had no such inventory, wasting time for both customs officials and wealthy ship owners. John Cox Stevens, a former president of the Jockey Club and future founder of the Union League Club, became the New York Yacht Club’s Commodore upon its founding in 1845. In 1847 he approached the secretary of the treasury and suggested that something be done to streamline the customs process for non-trade vessels. In 1848 legislation passed Congress requiring registration of these boats, which could then fly the “American Yachting Signal” to bypass customs. In the 1980’s the 1848 legislation was revoked, but the use of flags in this design continues to this day. The canton and the stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with machine stitching. The stars and anchor are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd with a zigzag machine stitch. This type of stitch was patented for use on flags in 1892 and quickly became the most common way to appliqué stars and remained so until after WWII. There is a twill cotton header with two brass grommets, along which the following text is stenciled: "U.S. ARMY STANDARD" and "3 Y". The former in no way indicates military use, but is simply a brand name, intended to inspire confidence in the buyer. It designates the grade of wool bunting that was being used by the manufacturer. While not a military flag, the use of the name does very likely reflect the fact that fabric is the same variety requested by the U.S. Army from the flag-maker in some previous order. The latter indicates the size of the flag, the "3" meaning "3 feet". The "Y" usually stands for "yards" and so here is probably an error. Either the "3" should have been a "1", or the "Y" should have instead been "Ft" (a common mark), or there should have simply been a number but no label at all for the unit of scale (also common). 13 star flags have been used throughout our nation's history for a variety of purposes. In addition to their use on private yachts, the U.S. Navy used the 13 star count on small boats, both in the 18th century and through most or all of the 19th century, particularly the second half. The Navy’s use of the 13 star flag ended in 1916 following an executive order written by President Woodrow Wilson. Among other uses, 13 star flags were carried by soldiers during the Mexican and Civil Wars, used at patriotic events, including Lafayette’s visit in 1825-26, flown at the celebration of the nation’s centennial in 1876 and the sesquicentennial in 1926. Mounting: The flag has been stitched to 100% silk organza on every seam and throughout the star field for support. The flag was hand-stitched to its background, which is 100% hemp fabric. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is U.V. protective acrylic. Condition: There is very minor foxing and staining and very minor mothing. The flag was certainly flown but displays very light use of the period. Frame Size (H x L): 35.75" x 45.75" Flag Size (H x L): 25" x 35"