Framed 13 Star Antique US United States Flag -- Americana Patriotic

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Framed 13 Star Antique US United States Flag -- Americana Patriotic :
$1650.00

This sale is for a beautiful 13 star Flag that measures 21\" by 30\". It is in a frame that measures 29\" by 39\". This Flag is made of wool, and its stars, stripes, and canton are all machine sewn. One of our favorite features of this Flag is its larger than usual stars, which make it stand out from most others having a 3-2-3-2-3 star pattern.
The stars are sewn into place, using a zig-zag stitch, a technique that came into use in the early 1890s. The patent for this stitching technique issued in 1892 to Mr. Henry Bowman as US patent number 473,653. Such stitching was common beginning at this time and remained the primary stitching method for the next 50 years. One advantage of such a stitch is that the stars could be cut somewhat roughly, and then that rough cut would be hidden behind the zigs and the zags.
The original use of the 13 star Flag dates to June 14, 1777, the time at which the Continental Congress adopted a resolution creating the first official Flag. The resolution stated, “Resolved, that the Flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The use of 13 star Flags has been relatively common ever since. For example, 13 star Flags were used to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary. In particular, at this time, 13 star Flags were flown throughout the country when General Lafayette returned to the US for a nationwide tour. Celebrations in honor of his Revolutionary War service were held in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, along with many locations in the southern and western states. Further, 13 star Flags were also common during the Mexican War in 1846-1848 and the Civil War in 1861-1865. They were both relatively close in time to the revolution, and both were very patriotic times generally, particularly during the Civil War time period when Flag use became much more common than had ever previously been the case. As yet another example, 13 star Flags were also commonly used during the Centennial celebrations, which were held across the country and, most notably, in Philadelphia at the Centennial International Exhibition.
This Flag was hand sewn to cotton fabric. The cotton fabric was hand sewn to a mounting board. Prior to these processes the cotton was washed twice, the first time as part of a standard wash and the second time as part of a dye setting wash. This prevents the black in the cotton from seeping into the Flag. The frame has a highly distressed coating, so as to match the Flag’s age and patina. The Flag is positioned behind acrylic that is both very strong and UV resistant. There are spacers sandwiched between the mounting board and the acrylic. The overall conservation process is extremely time consuming and expensive, but entirely worth it, based on the resulting presentation.
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