20th Century Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

AL Malaikah vintage Masonic Shriner iconic burgundy wool Fez hat with original box. Al Malaikah, legion of Honor vintage fez hat from the Los Angeles ...

POWER SQUADRONS ENSIGN, MADE BY ANNIN IN NEW YORK CITY or NEW JERSEY, circa 1914-WWII ERA The Power Squadron of the Boston Yacht Club was formed in 1914. It was the first organizati...

A playful yet strong early 20th century Scottish bagpiper's bonnet with a woven wool checkerboard headband and decorated with a large black ostrich feather plume and a white feather hackle, mounted on a turned wood stand.

"ROOSEVELT & GARNER", AN EMBROIDERED ARMBAND SUPPORTING THE 1932 DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL TICKET AND THE REPEAL OF PROHIBITION Made for the 1932 Democratic presidential Campaign ticke...

Presented is a U.S. shield patriotic printed paddle fan from 1918. The blue chief is printed with thirteen white stars. Below, thirteen vertical pales are printed in alternating red ...

An exquisite and mysterious portrait bust has come into our possession. Her name is Mathilda. The bust has been sculpted from earthenware clay and fired with a Bronze glaze. Given...

Presented is a patriotic printed paddle fan, with an image of a Navy sailor. The sailor is depicted on the back of a large boat, standing in front of a large, waving American flag. I...

ABOUT This is an original monumental American flag made by Valley Forge Co. with 48 hand sewn stars and stripes. It is in good condition and has metal grommets to hang. CREATO...

Franco-American textile with the image of an eagle supporting knotted and draped american and French flags beneath four war planes; embroidered silk floss and metallic bullion thread...

Leather fireman's parade belt with the word "LIBERTY in white on a red ground, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, circa 1900 This fireman's parade belt is of the type produced during the latter part of the 19th century, between roughly 1870 and 1900. Made of leather, the body of the belt is black. In the center is a recessed window, with a fancifully scalloped edge, behind which a red leather panel, upon which the word "Liberty" appears in raised, white letters. There is a white binding, it's edge trimmed with pinking shears to create a decorative border. The metal buckle fits into an opposing leather strap, small in scale and riveted beneath the outer one. The words that appear on fireman's parade belts were customized, sometimes displaying the title of the wearer (i.e., "chief" or "clerk"), sometimes the name of the city or town, and sometimes the name of the station, as-is the case in this instance. Attributed to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania (Columbia County), I acquired it about 25 miles southwest, in adjacent Union County. Bloomsburg's first fire house, Friendship Fire Company, was established in 1868, shortly following the Civil War. Like most volunteer departments of that time, it was staffed by returning Union soldiers who volunteered, enjoying the comradery. Three more would follow, including Rescue Hose & Ladder (1870), Winona (1881), and Liberty Fire Company (1900). In the early 1990's the process was begun to modernize and consolidate all four stations into one. Liberty's fire house still stands on the 100 block of Leonard Street. Probably made in the year the Liberty Fire Company was established, for related parades and festivities, the great thing about this belt is the combination of the wonderful, early, painted surface and the terrific verbiage. While words such as "Clerk," "Bloomsburg," or "Rescue" would have limited appeal, the word "Liberty" opens the playing field to a nation-wide audience. Fire memorabilia...

This is a vintage British WWI Poster, urging viewers to "Fight with National War Bonds." The poster features a woman in classical robes, hosting a British flag in an outstretched hand, with an impassioned and urgent look on her face. The poster was printed in England by Hill, Siffkin, & Co, circa 1917-1918. During WWII, England relied heavily on the willingness of its citizens to lend money...

Vintage French bust sculpture of a woman Marianne has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, and a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty...

A very remarkable collection of Folk Art caricatures made of Dutch ration 'food stamps.'  First caricature portrays a fat Hermann Go¨ring holding a cerem...

Call your next witness and play both the judge and juror with this oversized gavel. Super unique historical piece of art that is perfect for anyone who adores a fun spin on a typical...

Presented is a stunning textile banner from the first World War, dating to 1918. The square tan cotton cloth is embroidered with two crossed flags, the ...

This large and well executed original watercolor painting on masonite board is signed by a Jim Barclay, presumably from the United States, dating to 1964 and done in a period folk art style. The painting depicts President and Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower...

This framed antique and reverse printed panel was produced in England in the early 20th century by an unknown maker to commemorate the death of Admiral Lord Nelson...

A rather odd hand painted political black leather Gladstone holdall, believed to be a graduate college bag. American in origins, second quarter of the 20th century in age 3...

The maker of this lecturn is unknown, but presumed to have originated from the United States and date to approximately 1965. The podium is composed of pine boards and playwood with h...

Set of 12 custom framed Scottish postcards, vintage Catherine Reiss Inc. Six framed group of cards with two in each frame.

Medallion in bronze Patrie. The relief portrait has beautiful slightly brown patina. France, circa 1905

A black and white photograph in a wooden frame from 1940s Italy, depicting a parade or official gathering. The photograph would have been taken during the years of the Mussolini dict...

Intact helmet from Auxiliary Police Force measurements are approximate- contact dealer for specifics

13 STARS IN THE BETSY ROSS PATTERN ON A SMALL-SCALE ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG MADE SOMETIME BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 1910 AND THE 1926 SESQUICENTENNIAL OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 13 star fla...

VOTES FOR WOMEN PARADE TEXTILE IN PURPLE AND GREEN, OF A TYPE WORN AS SASHES AND WAVED AS NARROW PARADE BANNERS, MADE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT BY CALHOUN PRESS FOR THE WOMEN'S POLITI...

48 STARS CANTED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT IN DANCING ROWS, A RARE VARIETY OF ANTIQUE AMERICAN PARADE FLAG IN A LARGE SCALE, 1912-1918 OR PERHAPS EARLIER, REFLECTS ARIZONA & NEW MEXICO ST...

SILK CAMPAIGN KERCHIEF FEATURING A PROMINENT BULL MOOSE, MADE FOR THE 1912 PRESIDENTIAL RUN OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT, WHEN HE RAN ON THE NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE PARTY TICKET Printed silk ker...

EXTRAORDINARY MARINE CORPS RECRUITMENT POSTER BY SIDNEY RIESENBERG (1885-1971), WITH SHARPLY APPOINTED OFFICERS STROLLING IN AN EXOTIC LOCAL, LIKELY DERNA OR MARRAKESH (i.e., “THE SH...

BOLDLY GRAPHIC AND UNUSUAL STARS & STRIPES PENNANT FROM THE ‘MARCH ON WASHINGTON’ OF AUGUST 28TH, 1963, WHEN MARTIN LUTHER KING DELIVERED HIS HISTORIC "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH; THIS E...

PATRIOTIC WEST POINT WINDOW BANNER, PROBABLY MADE AROUND THE TIME OF U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN WWI (1917-18), A WONDERFUL EAMPLE WITH THE ACADEMY CREST & A SALMON RED BINDING Small window...

AMERICAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT PENNANT WITH "VOTES FOR WOMEN" TEXT, IN A LARGE SIZE AND WITH ATTRACTIVE PATINA FROM AGE AND OBVIOUS USE, circa 1912-1920 American Suffrage movement penna...

48 STAR U.S. NAVY JACK, MADE AT MARE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, HEADQUARTERS OF THE PACIFIC FLEET, DURING WWII, DATED 1944 United States Navy jack with 48 stars, made during WWII (U.S. inv...

WWI BOND DRIVE FLAG WITH A WHIMSICAL & ARTISTICALLY COMPELLING EAGLE, PERCHED DIRECTLY ON THE LOWER EDGE OF THE TEXTILE (HIGHLY UNUSUAL), WITH WINGS UPSTRETCHED IN A “V” FOR “VICTORY...

“VICTORY WITH ARMS NEEDS MACHINES ON FARMS”: EXTREMELY RARE WWI POSTER WITH AN EAGLE PERCHED ON A TRACTOR & A TERRIFIC SLOGAN WWII poster, printed on paper board, pleading for aid i...

VOTES FOR WOMEN PARADE TEXTILE IN PURPLE AND GREEN, OF A TYPE WORN AS SASHES AND WAVED AS NARROW PARADE BANNERS, MADE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT BY CALHOUN PRESS FOR THE WOMEN'S POLITI...

WWII LIBERATION FLAG w/ 23 SILVER GILT STARS ON A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON & 16 STRIPES, MADE TO WELCOME U.S. TROOPS IN FRANCE FOLLOWING LIBERATION FROM...

DRAMATIC, CIRCULAR FLAG FAN OF UNCOMMONLY HUGE SIZE, WITH UNUSUAL CONSTRUCTION, MADE IN THE WWI ERA (1917-18), CAREFULLY CONSERVED AND PRESENTED IN A DEEP, CUSTOM-MADE SHADOWBOX Thi...

EXCEPTIONAL RED CROSS BANNER WITH WHIMSICAL LETTERING AND A TERRIFIC SLOGAN, WWI (U.S. INVOLVEMENT 1917-18), ONE OF APPROXIMATELY THREE EXAMPLES PRESENTLY IDENTIFIED EXCEPTIONAL RED CROSS BANNER WITH WHIMSICAL LETTERING AND A TERRIFIC SLOGAN, WWI (U.S. INVOLVEMENT 1917-18), ONE OF APPROXIMATELY THREE EXAMPLES PRESENTLY IDENTIFIED Web ID: pat-742 Available: In Stock Frame Size (H x L): 34.5" x 48.75" Flag Size (H x L): 21.75" x 36" Description: Made during the First World War, this extraordinary banner of the American Red Cross, printed on plain weave cotton, is a gem among surviving textiles commissioned for the organization. Even though it wasn't exactly produced as such, the banner is a fantastic piece of American folk art, with the combination of words, and visual impact forcing it soundly into this category. Some years ago, I acquired one of the very same type. At that point in time, I had not before seen its equal. Bowled over by the exceptional graphics in its varied styles of lettering—more like what you see during the 19th century than the 20th, I could find nothing of similar quality in my associated research. In fact, there was barely anything vintage or antique with imagery much beyond the generic scarlet cross on a white ground. The verbiage is undeniably great: "The Red Cross Needs You; Join Now; Be Patriotic--Be Humane." Today I know of one other, in addition to this example and the one I sold previously, for a total of three. I have also seen a variation on the basic design, not as dynamic but similar, reproduced for the television series “Gilded Age.” Displayed behind the actress who plays Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross, it has the same text at the top and in the middle, though the fonts are not quite as strong, but along the bottom, the slogan “Be Patriotic--Be Humane” is replaced by “Answer the Call.” The first example of this banner that I acquired a fine, blue, hand-sewn binding around the perimeter, and 4 sets of long, red, cotton ties, hand-sewn to the top edge and distributed along it. Because these were so incredibly graphic in their own right, and what they collectively added to the presentation of a banner that looks way more like 19th century printed advertising than something from the 20th, I elected to up the ante, if you will, seeking out red and blue, antique cotton...

RARE FELT PENNANT FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, AUGUST 28, 1963, WHEN MARTIN LUTHER KING DELIVERED HIS HISTORIC "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH Printed in white pigment on scarlet red felt,...

"VOTES FOR WOMEN" PENNANT WITH AN IMAGE OF A 1911 STATUETTE CALLED "SUFFRAGIST" BY ELLA BUCHANNAN, MADE FOR CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT'S "WOMAN SUFFRAGE PARTY" OF NEW YORK CITY, CA 1912-20 ...

RARE & BOLDLY GRAPHIC AMERICAN SUFFRAGETTE POSTER, COMMISSIONED BY THE EMPIRE STATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT’S GROUP, circa 1915 Extremely rare and boldly graphic Suf...

13 STARS IN THE BETSY ROSS PATTERN, ON A VINTAGE AMERICAN FLAG, MADE BY THE ANNIN COMPANY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY, circa 1955 - 1965 13 star American national flag, made entirely of cotton by the Annin Company of New York & New Jersey, in the period between approximately 1955-1965. The stars are arranged in the circular wreath pattern most often associated with Betsy Ross. Flags in this design are widely admired, due to the longstanding popularity of the Ross family myth. While many Americans were taught in grammar school that this was what our first flag looked like, there is, unfortunately, no way to substantiate the claim, and no colonial flags...

48 star, crocheted, antique american flag of the wwii era (1941-1945), a beautiful, homemade example, with a red, white, & blue hoist and flower-like stars: Crocheted American flag of the WWII era (U.S. involvement 1941-1945), with some interesting and beautiful features. Made entirely of cotton, the flag’s most notable attribute is the red, white, and blue color of its hoist. This was carefully stitched to the canton and the striped field with white cotton floss or yarn. The 48 crocheted stars are appliquéd to a length of navy blue plain weave cotton. With pierced centers, note how these more closely resemble flowers than stars, tipped this way and that on their vertical axis. Large, with respect to the canton on which they are placed, note how these crowd their boundaries and overlap into the field. The elongated format of the flag is also of interest and contributes to the bold presentation, as do the strong colors. Most crocheted flags are smaller than this one, or date to a much later period (namely the 1976...

COLORADO STATE FLAG OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY, MADE OF SILK, CIRCA 1911-1920’s, EXTRAORDINARILY RARE IN THIS PERIOD AND THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE THAT I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED Early state flags are few and far between. While I am asked for them constantly, most states did not actually have official flags until the 20th century. On May 6th, 1911, Colorado became among the last to adopt a design. The project of doing so was spearheaded by the Denver Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The bill was introduced by Senator W.H. Sharply and adopted by the Eighteenth General Assembly. The artwork was the product of A.C. [Andrew Carlisle] Carson, President of the Ohio Society of Colorado. The meanings behind the elements in the design are as follows: The large letter "C" stands for Colorado and simultaneously for the Centennial State (Colorado entered the Union in 1876, the year in which our nation celebrated its 100th anniversary of independence), as well as the Columbine State (reflecting the state flower). The red color is included due to the fact that the word Colorado translates to scarlet or red in Spanish. The circle represents the sun, while the gold color symbolizes all-the-year sunshine, Colorado’s status as the greatest gold state, and one Columbine color. It was also included so that the Colorado state flag would have one more color than the U.S. flag. The color white reflects Colorado’s status as the greatest silver state, its eternal mountain snow, and one Columbine color. Lastly, the shade of Yale blue symbolizes all-the-year blue sky and one Columbine Color. Members of the D.A.R. were proud to note that this was also their color. Made sometime between the initial year of the adoption of this design and the 1920’s, this particular flag is the earliest Colorado example that I have ever encountered. The blue and white bars, red “C,” and golden circle are a’’ made of silk taffeta. This was a costly fabric, reserved for the best material a flag-maker produced. The flag is constructed in the manner of a battle flag, to be carried on foot. Squarish in its overall profile, silk was the fabric of choice for flags employed in this function, due to the fact that it was light weight, and thus practical for hand-carrying, while simultaneously formal in appearance, appropriate for the sort of ceremonial use that military presentation often demands. The style of the hoist is also typical for field or parade use. Here the fabric was rolled over to form an open sleeve, through which a wooden staff could be inserted. The sleeve is lined on the interior with black cotton. Leather tabs, at the top and bottom, fit over metal posts on the staff, designed to accept them, to fix the flag in its proper position. The bars were pieced and joined with lineal machine stitching. The hoist and fly ends were finished and hemmed by the same method. The devices are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with a machine buttonhole / blanket stitch. Though machines that produced buttonholes were, remarkably, available alongside the earliest standard machines, in the 1850’s and 60’s, the use of this sort of stitch in a running format, for appliqué work, remained highly unusual, even as late as the first half of the twentieth century, probably because it used a ton of thread when compared to the zigzag or satin stitch. It could be expected to appear more often in the hands of a maker of very fine flags, that employed embroidery machines and commissioned custom, fancy work of all sorts. Though unsigned—in no way uncommon in early examples, which were seldom signed—that is precisely the sort of firm that produced the Colorado flag...

American Suffrage movement pennant, with a standard, triangular taper. Made of yellow felt, with tapered letters that read simply: "Votes for Women," bo...

Large, swallow tailed, suffragette pennant in a black & orange color combination unique to this example, with applied lettering that reads "Votes for Women” down a wide, central stri...

48 crocheted stars on a very graphic, three-dimensional flag made from silk ribbon and crocheted rings, WWI Era (U.S. involvement 1917-18) Homemade, ha...

Rare & Beautiful American Parade Flag With Images Of Teddy Roosevelt And His Great White Fleet, 1907-1909, Ex-richard Pierce Collection: 46 star parade ...

Indiana State Flag With Square-like Proportions, An Offset Device, And Gold Fringe, Circa 1930-1955: Despite the fact that most of the United States joined the Union during the 18...

IRONSTONE PLATE WITH "VOTES FOR WOMEN" TEXT, MADE JOHN MADDOCK & SONS FOR SUFFRAGIST ALVA BELMONT FOR MARBLE HOUSE, HER FAMOUS ESTATE IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1914: Porcelain objects related to the Suffrage movement are extremely scarce. The most celebrated of all American suffrage dinnerware consists of a service of white ironstone, commissioned by Alva Belmont,* prominent Newport, Rhode Island, socialite. Belmont was the founder of a pro-suffrage group called the Political Equality Association. According to Suffrage memorabilia expert Ken Folley, "There are at least eight different examples known in this design, including a cup and saucer, a lunch or dinner plate, a salad or bread plate, a berry bowl, a soup bowl, a celery dish...

EXTREMELY RARE U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONING PENNANT WITH 13 STARS, A REVERSAL OF THE U.S. NAVY COLOR SCHEME, TWENTY-FOUR FEET ON THE FLY, SP...

“THE MAN WITH A HEART, THE PARTY WITH A SOUL”: FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT POSTER, MADE FOR HIS 1936 PRESIDENTIAL RUN, THE BEST OF ALL KNOWN EXAMPLES ACROS...