American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

38 Star Antique American Flag with Hand-sewn Stars in an 8-7-8-7-8 Pattern of Justified Rows, Made in the Period When Colorado was the Most Recent State to Join The Union, 1876-1889: 38 star American national flag, with pencil-inscribed names of a child and his uncle, who resided together at one point near Lake Erie, west of Cleveland, Ohio. The stars of the flag are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) of the blue canton. These are arranged in justified lineal rows in counts of 8-7-8-7-8, which is a traditional format for the 38 star count, and all of the stars are oriented in an upright position on their vertical axis (i.e., with one point up). The stripes and canton of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with treadle stitching, typical of the period. Because wool bunting was only available in a maximum width of eighteen inches, the canton is constructed from two lengths of blue fabric. There is a twill cotton binding along the hoist, with two brass grommets. 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) are more often seen at the Centennial International Exposition, the six-month long World’s Fair held in Philadelphia in honor of the event. Some flag-makers would have been adding a star for the 38th state even before it entered the Union, in the early part of 1876 or even prior. In fact, many makers of parade flags were actually producing 39 star flags, in hopeful anticipation of the addition of two more Western Territories instead of one. But the 39th state would not join the Union for another 13 years, when the Dakota Territory entered as two states (numbers 39 and 40) on the same day, November 2nd, 1889. On the reverse of the binding there are three penciled inscriptions, "Dawson," "Taggart," and "Bill Ryals." Although separated, the first two names actually go together, although the connection is not as one might expect. William (Bill) J. Ryals (b. 12/20/1928) was 11 years old and enrolled at school in the 4th grade when he appears on the 1940 census record, living with parents Corning D. Ryals (1896-1965) and Janet T. Ryals (1894-1957). The "T" in Janet's name almost certainly stood for "Taggart," as her given name on her Marriage certificate...

13 STARS IN A 3-2-3-2-3 LINEAL CONFIGURATION, ON A LARGE SCALE ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG MADE DURING THE LAST DECADE OF THE 19TH CENTURY: 13 star American national flag, dating to the l...

38 STARS IN CRUDE COLUMNS WITH HAPHAZARD ORIENTATION, ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A BEAUTIFUL, SLATE BLUE CANTON, SIGNED "LEDDON," MADE IN THE ERA WHEN COLORADO WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, 1876-1889 38 star American flag...

38 STARS ON A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, ARRANGED IN AN EXTREMELY INTERESTING VERSION OF A MEDALLION CONFIGURATION THAT INCORPORATES A DISTINCT SALTIRE, A BEAUTIFUL HOMEMADE FLAG OF THE...

13 STARS IN THE BETSY ROSS PATTERN, A SCARCE SEWN EXAMPLE IN A DESIRABLE SMALL SCALE, 1900-1930 13 star American national flag, made in the period between approximately 1900 and 19...

38 hand sewn Stars In An Unusually Confined Pattern Of Justified Rows, On An Antique Flag In An Especially Small Scale For The Period, 1876-1889, Colorado Statehood: 38 star Ameri...

48 STAR FLAG & MATCHING COMMISSIONING PENNANT OF THE WWII ERA, SELDOM EVER FOUND IN A MATCHING PAIR, BROUGHT HOME BY U.S. NAVY AMPHIBIOUS FORCES GROUP SAILOR LUTHER VOIGHT LINGLE, WHO SERVED ON THE U.S.S. REEVES, THE FIRST AMERICAN SHIP TO DROP ANCHOR IN JAPANESE WATERS BEFORE THE SURRENDER 48 star, U.S. Navy small boat ensign and an accompanying 7-star commission pennant, handed down through the family of a WWII sailor. Despite having owned many U.S. Navy flags and commissioning pennants dating to the 19th and 20th centuries, I have seldom ever encountered matching pairs from the same ship, intended to be flown together. For that reason alone, these were a wonderful and interesting find. This particular pair was brought home by Luther Voight Lingle (b. Nov. 24, 1922, d. Nov. 2, 2008) of Salisbury, NC, who was a U.S. Navy Amphibious Forces Group Sailor. He and his wife Mabel (Kluttz), of 62 years, had no children. When he passed in 2008, at the age of 85, the flag and pennant were left to his niece, who subsequently sold them to an antiques dealer/picker/collector, relaying that her uncle had served from mid-1944 - 1946 in the Pacific Theatre. A copy of Lingle’s draft card and a copy of a ship’s roster were found when researching his service record. The roster, is from the U.S.S. Reeves (APD52) and reflects the last Quarter of 1944, ending Dec. 31st of that year. It supports the niece’s information, stating that Lingle had enlisted on the 27th of June, 1944. It can be assumed that he entered the Navy boot camp, and probably wasn’t assigned to the Reeves until it was modified and re-designated, a process that began in September. The overhauled ship re-launched on December 23rd of that year. Lingle appears on the ship’s records until June 1st, 1946. What happened to him after this time with regard to his term of U.S. Navy Service is not known. History of the U.S.S. Reeves (DE-156/APD-52): The first U.S.S. Reeves was a Buckley-class destroyer escort, named in honor of Warrant Officer Thomas J. Reeves (1895–1941), who was killed in action while serving aboard the battleship California (BB-44) during the attack on Pearl Harbor. For his distinguished conduct to bring ammunition to anti-aircraft guns, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and further honored with the ship’s name. The Reeves was laid down by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on the 7th of February, 1943, was launched on the 23rd of April, and sponsored by Miss Mary Anne Reeves, niece of Chief Radioman Reeves. The ship was commissioned on June 9th of that year, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Mathias S. Clark. Following shakedown, Reeves returned to Norfolk and on August 16th and got underway on her first transatlantic escort run, a slow convoy to Casablanca. Arriving at New York 6 weeks later, she underwent availability and further training at Casco Bay, then returned to escort duty and for the next 12 months shepherded fast tanker convoys between New York and the UK. On March 18th, 1944, following the sinking of the S.S. Seakay, Reeves rescued 83 of the merchantman's 84 man crew. For heroism during that rescue, one of the escort's coxswains, E. E. Angus, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. The following day, Reeves took the U.S.S. Donnell (DE-56) in tow, after she had been torpedoed, and stood by until relieved by tugs, then continued on, carrying the damaged escort's more seriously wounded men. Through D-Day and the summer of 1944, Reeves continued to escort fast convoys. On the 23rd of September, she completed her last Atlantic escort mission and entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard for conversion to a Charles Lawrence-class, high speed transport. Redesignated APD-52 on 25 September, the U.S.S. Reeves emerged from the shipyard on December 23rd and after amphibious training, headed for the Panama Canal and duty in the Pacific. Arriving at Ulithi on February 26th, 1945, she continued on to the Philippines in early March to rehearse for Operation Iceberg, the invasion of the Ryukyus. On March 26th, the ship arrived off the Kerama Retto invasion area, and following initial duties as a standby ship for Underwater Demolition Team operations, shifted to anti-submarine and anti-aircraft screening duties. She served on that harrowing duty for 109 days, interrupted only for a fast convoy to Ulithi and a brief availability in the Philippines. Detached on August 18th, the APD delivered men, mail, and provisions to ships of the fleet, then sailed north to Japan. There, into October, she assisted in the repatriation of former POWs, including Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (b. 1912, d. 1988), the famous Marine Corps fighter ace who flew a P-40 Warhawk with the legendary "Flying Tigers," then supported the United States Strategic Bombing Survey mission assigned to the Nagasaki area. The U.S.S. Reeves was the first American Ship to drop anchor in Japanese waters before the surrender. The ship sailed for the United States on November 26th and, after stops in the Volcano, Marshall, and Hawaiian islands, arrived at San Diego on December 23rd. Three days later she continued on and arrived at Boston to begin inactivation on the 10th of January, 1946. Assigned to the Florida Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, she was decommissioned on July 30th of that year at Green Cove Springs, FL, where she remained until struck from the Navy List on June 1st, 1960 and transferred to the Government of Ecuador for use as an electric generator plant. The Reeves earned one battle star during the war. Information on Luther Voight Lingle (1922-2008): Born Nov. 24, 1922, in Rowan County, he was the son of the late Julian Ralph Lingle and Ethel Safrit Lingle. Mr. Lingle graduated from Mount Ulla High School and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He retired as a superintendent from Wagoner Construction Company and was a member of Franklin Presbyterian Church, where he was a former Elder Emeritus. When he passesd, Mr. Lingle was survived by his wife of 62 years, Mabel Kluttz Lingle, and two sisters, Mrs. Ailene Safrit of Salisbury and Mrs. Faye O'Bryant of Florida. Parents: Julian Ralph Lingle (1900 - 1997) and Ethel Irene Safrit Lingle (1900 - 1945) Spouse: Mabel Kluttz Lingle (1919 - 2013) Siblings: Luther Voight Lingle (1922 - 2008), Julian Locke Lingle (1928 - 2000), Ailene Safrit, Faye O'Bryant Burial: Franklin Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Franklin, North Carolina (Rowan County) Headstone Inscription: S1 US NAVY WWII...

13 STARS IN A 3-2-3-2-3 PATTERN ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG, A UNITED STATES NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN, MADE AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD, NEW YORK, SIGNED & DATED 1912 13 star American national flag of the type used by the U.S. Navy on small boats around the turn-of-the-century. These flags were flown at the stern, from a gaff, or from the yard-arm on a larger vessel, or as the primary flag on a skiff or other small craft that carried sailors back and forth to shore. During the period in which this flag was made, the size of such signals varied between 1.31 feet on the hoist x 2.5 on the fly, and 3.52 feet on the hoist x 6.67 on the fly. This particular example represents the largest variety dictated by U.S. Navy regulations between 1899 and 1914. This flag is signed along the hoist on the reverse by way of a black-inked stencil that reads: “U.S. Ensign No. 6 New York Navy Yard February 1912.” This is accompanied by another stencil with the initials “NH.” As a rule, the Navy made its own flags at various locations. In addition to New York, principal seats of manufacture included Mare Island, California, Cavite, in the Philippine Islands, the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, and Newport News, Virginia. With but a few exceptions, such flags went unmarked until the 1880's and after and some were not marked at all. The Navy flew 13 star flags on small boats, not only in the Colonial period, but throughout much of the 19th century, particularly the second half. The practice was less consistent prior to the Civil War, but more consistent afterwards. It came to an end with an executive order of Woodrow Wilson in 1916, one year prior to U.S. involvement in WWI (1917-18). The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been joined with a lineal machine stitch. The cotton muslin stars are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with a zigzag machine stitch. There is a coarse linen binding along the hoist with 2 patent-dated brass grommets, each of which reads: “Pat’d Aug. 26, 1884, No. 0”. The presence of this dating is a very nice feature. Grommets on other types of flags are never so specifically marked. Note how the stars are exceptionally large, relative to the size of the canton, when compared to most other flags throughout American history. Also note how these were positioned so that those in the first row are oriented with one point up, followed by the second row, with one point oriented down, alternating throughout the pattern. I have always like this feature, which adds a strong visual element to flag that already exhibits ample graphic impact. In most cases the 3-2-3-2-3 design can also be viewed as a diamond of stars, with a star in each corner and a star in the very center. It is of interest to note that the pattern can also be interpreted as a combination of the cross of St. Andrew and the cross of St. George, which some feel could have been the configuration on the very first American flag, possibly representing a link between this star pattern and the British Union Jack. The arrangement is often attributed--albeit erroneously, in my opinion--to New Jersey Senator Francis Hopkinson, a member of the Second Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hopkinson is credited with having played the most significant role of any person in the design of the American flag, but his original drawings have not survived. Further, while he is known to have depicted arrangements of 13 stars on other objects, such as various seals and colonial currencies...

31 STARS IN A MEDALLION PATTERN ON AN ELONGATED, HOMEMADE FLAG WITH A VERTICALLY-ORIENTED CANTON AND EXCEPTIONAL FOLK QUALITIES, PRE-CIVIL WAR, CALIFORNIA STATEHOOD, 1850-1858 31 s...

13 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG, A U.S. NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN WITH ENORMOUS HAND-SEWN STARS, IN A REMARKABLE STATE OF PRESERVATION, CIRCA 1890-1899: Despite the fact that America hasn't been comprised of 13 states since 1791, 13 star flags have been made and displayed throughout our nation's history, seemingly without pause, from 1777 to the present. The reasons for their manufacture are many, with functions both patriotic and utilitarian. They were hoisted at patriotic events, including Lafayette’s visit in 1824-25, the celebration of the centennial of American independence in 1876, and the sesquicentennial in 1926. They were displayed during the Civil War (1861-65) to reference past struggles for American liberty, and were used by 19th century politicians while campaigning for the same reason. As the number of stars grew with the addition of new states, it became more and more difficult to fit their full complement on a small flag. The stars would, by necessity, have to become smaller, which made it more and more difficult to view them from a distance. The fear was that too many of them close together would become as one white mass and potentially distort the ability to identify American ships. Keeping the count low allowed for better visibility and for this reason the U.S. Navy flew 13 star flags on small craft. Flag experts disagree about the precisely when the Navy began to revert to the 13 star count (and occasionally other low counts) for these "small boat ensigns," as they were termed. Some feel that their use never ceased, which seems to be supported by depictions of ships in period artwork, but it wasn't formally specified until 1854, when first appeared in naval regulations. 13 was, of course, the original number of stars on the first American national flag, by way of the First Flag Act (1777), and equal to the number of original colonies that became states. Because any American flag that has previously been official remains so today, according to the flag acts, it remains perfectly acceptable to fly 13 star flags by way of congressional law. U.S. Navy small boat ensigns were flown at the stern, from a gaff, or from the yard-arm on a larger vessel, or as the primary flag on a skiff or other small craft that carried sailors back and forth to shore. The particular example that is the subject of this narrative was made during the 1890's. The stars are rather enormous in scale when compared to most of its counterparts of other time periods. Made of cotton, these are hand-sewn and double-appliquéd (applied to both sides of the blue canton), and are configured into rows of 3-2-3-2-3. The canton and stripes are made of wool bunting and have been joined with treadle stitching. The rectangular wool patches at the top and bottom of the hoist are called gussets. These are original to the flag's construction and were added for reinforcement at the points where it was subject to the most wear. The coarse linen binding along the hoist, golden tan in color, is indicative of the Navy's flags in this period and shortly thereafter. The filament of blue thread that runs vertically through the fabric aided in measurement of the cloth. While this can often be encountered in sailcloth, it is fairly unusual in linen of this sort and adds a nice, if subtle, element to the flag's visual presentation. Although they acquired flags from commercial makers when the need presented itself, the Navy generally made its own flags. Around 1884 they began stenciling them with black pigment along the hoist, specifying the date and location of manufacture. This did not occur with regularity until the 1890's, but is sometimes present in 1880's examples. Most Navy flags of this era have brass grommets. This flag is peculiar because it has neither a stencil or grommets. The binding is constructed as an open sleeve, through which a rope could be passed and stitched into place for hoisting. There are no markings at all along it, save for at the extreme bottom on the obverse, where, in small text, there appears to be a letter "C," followed by "XX," inscribed with a dip pen. A numeral, followed by one or two X's, often denotes the length of the flag in feet when measured on the fly, but here the notation remains unknown. During the period in which this flag was made, Naval regulations specified that the largest variety of 13 star small boat ensign measured 3.52 feet on the hoist x 6.67 feet on the fly. While the length of this example is almost spot-on, at 6.65 feet (less than an inch in variance), the height of 3.83 feet is almost 4 inches taller than expected. In my experience, this is not unusual. Regulations seem to have been loosely followed at best, and it's remarkable, given the combination of human error and the propensity of wool to shrink, that the length is so close. Despite the lack of grommets or markings, the construction is otherwise precisely what I would expect of a U.S. Navy flag and it's readily identifiable as a product of U.S. Navy production. Since there was no official star configuration until the 20th century, (1912 specifically,) the stars on 13 star flags may appear in any one of a host of configurations. The 3-2-3-2-3 pattern begins to appear on U.S. Navy flags at the tail end of the Civil War. In addition, it is the most often encountered pattern across 13 star flags, with pieced-and-sewn construction, that were made during the latter half of the 19th century. In 1882, the scale of the stars changed. These became significantly larger and their orientation was, for the first time, fixed. The stars in the first row were oriented with one point up, followed by the second row, with one point oriented down, alternating throughout the pattern, as can be seen in this example. I have always like this feature, which in this case adds a strong visual element to flag that already has ample graphic impact. In most cases the 3-2-3-2-3 design can also be viewed as a diamond of stars, with a star in each corner and a star in the very center. It is of interest to note that the pattern can also be interpreted as a combination of the cross of St. Andrew and the cross of St. George, which some feel could have been the configuration on the very first American flag, possibly representing a link between this star pattern and the British Union Jack. The arrangement is often attributed--albeit erroneously, in my opinion--to New Jersey Senator Francis Hopkinson, a member of the Second Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hopkinson is credited with having played the most significant role of any person in the design of the American flag, but his original drawings have not survived. Further, while he is known to have depicted arrangements of 13 stars on other objects, such as various seals and colonial currencies...

48 STARS IN DANCING ROWS, A RARE VARIETY OF ANTIQUE AMERICAN PARADE FLAG IN A LARGE SCALE, 1912-1918 OR PERHAPS EARLIER, ARIZONA & NEW MEXICO STATEHOOD In 1912, President Taft pas...

42 STARS IN AN HOURGLASS PATTERN ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG, AN UNOFFICIAL STAR COUNT, WASHINGTON STATEHOOD, 1889-1890: Early American national flag with 42 stars, configured in ro...