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35 STARS, CIVIL WAR PERIOD, WEST VIRGINIA STATEHOOD, 1863-1865, AN UNUSUALLY SMALL SIZE FOR THE PERIOD:
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Description: |
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35 star American National flag of the Civil War period. West Virginia was admitted into the Union as the 35th state on June 20th, 1863, a few days before the battle of Gettysburg. The 35th star was officially added on July 4th, and the flag was used during the closing years of the war. Production would have generally ceased one year later, however, with the addition of the 36th state.
Despite its appearance, the flag is unusually small for the period. In the 19th century, flags with sewn construction (as opposed to printed) were typically eight feet long or larger. This is because they were important in their function as signals, which required that they be seen and recognized from a great distance. A small flag was six feet in length, like this example, and production of flags smaller than this was extremely limited. Even infantry battle flags were approximately six by six-and-one-half feet, about the same length as this flag, but significantly taller, because they were nearly square in format�about the size of an average quilt made during the same period. Because the average 19th century sewn flag is difficult to frame and display in an indoor setting, many collectors prefer printed parade flags and unusually small sewn flags, like this one.
While the stars were all basically intended to point upward, subtle variation from one to the next lends them a great homemade quality. The stars are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and double-appliqu�d. This means that they were applied to both sides of the flag. The canton and stripes of the flag are made of wool bunting that has been pieced with treadle-stitching. There is a treadle-sewn, linen sleeve with great golden-brown coloration and two brass grommets for hoisting. The number �6� stenciled along the hoist, in black ink, indicates its length on the fly dimension.
Mounting: The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% on every seam for support. The flag was then hand-sewn to a 100% cotton background, black in color. The black fabric was 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 then placed in a black painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The front is U.V. protective acrylic. |
| Inventory Number: |
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Dealer |
Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques, llc |
| Contact |
Jeff Bridgman |
Phone: (717) 502-1281 |
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| Period: |
19th Century (1801-1900) |
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| Date: |
1863-1865 |
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| Origin: |
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| Condition: |
The flag is in remarkably great condition for the period, with only very minor mothing, staining, and a few very minor losses. It scores a solid 9-out-of-10 among wool examples of this era. |
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| Measurements: |
frame: 48.25" x 79.75" flag: 38.5" x 68.5" |
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| Inventory |
Other Inventory by this Dealer |
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| Web-site: |
http://www.jeffbridgman.com |
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| Price: |
SOLD |
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| E-mail: |
Inquire
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