13 Star Antique American Flag in a 3-2-3-2-3 Pattern, Brooklyn Navy Yard, 1903

About the Item

13 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG w/ A 3-2-3-2-3 PATTERN OF ESPECIALLY LARGE STARS; A U.S. NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN, SIGNED DATED 1903, MADE AT THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD IN NEW YORK CITY 13 star American national flag of the type used by the U.S. Navy on small boats around the turn-of-the 19th to the 20th 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. The U.S. Navy flew 13 star flags not only in the Revolutionary and early Federal periods, following the First Flag Act of June 14th, 1777, but throughout much or all of the 19th century, particularly the second half. As the total number of states increased, and subsequently the number of stars on our nation’s flag, the Navy often maintained various counts, lower than the actual, especially on smaller flags, to ensure that the stars themselves would be easier to discern at a distance. Primarily these “small boat ensigns,” as they are called, displayed 13 stars to reflect the original 13 colonies. Flag experts disagree about precisely when the Navy began to employ this practice. Some feel that the use of 13 star flags never stopped, which seems to be supported by depictions of ships in period artwork. Less consistent prior to the Civil War, but more-so afterwards, the tradition continued until 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson wrote an Executive Order that ended the Navy’s use of 13 star flags in favor of small flags in the full star count. According to flag expert Grace Rogers Cooper of the Smithsonian, however, old traditions die hard and Wilson’s order did not completely dispel the presence of 13 star flags on U.S. Navy craft. While I don’t doubt this to be the case, over the years I have thus far discovered just one documented exception post 1916. This particular flag is signed along the hoist on the reverse by way of a black-inked stencil that reads: “U.S. Ensign No. 7; Navy Yard New York; April 1903.” Established in 1801, the Brooklyn Navy Yard remained a key seat of Navy operations until 1966, at which point it was decommissioned and sold to the city. As a rule, the Navy made its own flags at various locations. In addition to New York, principal sites of manufacture included the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, and Mare Island, California, Headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, and Cavite in the Philippine Islands. With but a handful of identified exceptions, such flags went unmarked until the 1880's and after, and even then, numerous examples went unmarked. 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 feet on the fly, and 3.52 feet on the hoist x 6.67 on the fly. “No. 7” is a size designation that, per U.S. Navy Regulations of 1899, was to measure 2.9 feet on the hoist x 5.5 feet on the fly. This particular example represents the next-to-the-largest variety officially employed between that year and 1914. The stars of the flag are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides) with a zigzag machine stitch. Note how these are especially large relative to the size of the canton, when compared to most other flags throughout American history. The canton and stripes are made of wool bunting that has been joined with a lineal machine stitch. The patches in the upper and lower, hoist-end corners 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. There is a coarse linen binding along the hoist with 2 brass grommets, each of which is stamped in the following manner: “Pat’d Aug. 26, 1884, No. 0”. The presence of this dating is a very nice feature. In my experience, grommets on non-Navy flags are never so marked. In addition to the NY markings, and additional black stencil reads “C.9151.” 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 3-2-3-2-3 pattern can also be interpreted as a combination of the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George, which some feel could have been the design of the very first American flag and may identify a link between this star configuration and the British Union Jack. The pattern 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, who is credited with having played the most significant role in the original design of the American national flag. Hopkinson's original drawings for the design of the flag have not survived and his other depictions of 13 star arrangements for other devices are inconsistent. 13 star flags have been flown throughout our nation’s history for a variety of purposes, both practical and utilitarian. In addition to their use on U.S. Navy ships, some private ships flew 13 star examples throughout the 19th century. Beginning around 1890, commercial makers began to produce small flags for the first time in significant quantity. When they did, they chose the 13 star count, mirroring Navy practice. This continued into at least the 1920’s. 13 star flags were hoisted at all manner of patriotic events, including Lafayette’s return visit and tour of America in 1824-25, the 1876 centennial of American independence, and celebrations of Independence Day. They were displayed during the Civil War, to reference past struggles for American liberty, and were used by 19th century politicians in political campaigning for the same reason. The use of yachting ensigns with a wreath of 13 stars, surrounding a fouled anchor, which allowed pleasure boats to bypass customs between 1848 and 1980, persists today without an official purpose. Because any American flag that has previously been official remains so according to the flag acts, it remains perfectly acceptable to fly 13 star flags today by way of congressional law. Mounting: The flag was mounted and framed in-house. For 25 years we have maintained our own specialized department for this purpose and our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The mount was placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color, that has been washed and treated for colorfastness. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic (Plexiglas). Feel free to contact us for more details. Condition: There is extremely minor mothing in limited areas. There is minor to moderate soiling in some of the stars, accompanied by a couple of small, modest to moderate stains below the canton, near the hoist end, and scattered minor staining elsewhere. The colors are especially strong and the overall condition is excellent for the period among surviving examples. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use. Frame Size (H x L): 78" x 47.5" Flag Size (H x L): 66" x 35.5"

Dimensions:
Height: 78 in (198.12 cm)Width: 47.5 in (120.65 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Wool
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1903
Condition:
See Item Descripti.
Seller Location:
York County, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 13j-16781stDibs: LU849741563932

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