45 Upside-Down Star on An Antique American Flag, Utah State, ca 1896-1908

38 star antique American parade flag with scattered star orientation, made of silk, with generous scale and vivid colors, Colorado Statehood, 1876-1889 38 star American national p...

44 STARS IN JUSTIFIED ROWS, WITH VARIED STAR POSITIONING, ON A SILK, ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH STRIKING COLORS, REFLECTS WYOMING STATEHOOD, circa 1890-1896 44 star American parade ...

38 STARS, COLORADO STATEHOOD, A SCARCE AND BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A MEDALLION PATTERN AND 4 LARGE CORNER STARS, PRESS-DYED ON WOOL BUNTING, MADE BY HORSTMANN BROTHERS I...

38 STARS IN AN EXTREMELY UNUSUAL CONFIGURATION THAT BEARS A CLUSTER OF 6 SMALL STARS WITHIN A LINEAL PATTERN OF LARGER STARS, 1876-1889, COLORADO STATEHOOD 38 star American national parade flag, printed on cotton. This is an extremely rare example of a lineal pattern flag with a wreath or cluster of smaller stars inserted in the center. A very small number of flags in this style are known to have survived, the colors of which are typically saturated and vibrant, like this example, in scarlet red and rich, royal blue. The particular wreath in the center of the configuration is really more of a pentagon with a single, center star. The reason for the choice of the design and 6 smaller stars seems a curious one on the surface, but its purpose was probably nothing more than to simply augment a 36 star print block to one with 38 stars. One may observe how 4 stars, that would have comprised the center of a 6 x 6 pattern, could have simply been removed and 6 smaller stars inserted in their place, in an artful fashion. At least two other similar 38-star patterns are known that incorporate 4 small stars intermingled between rows of what most certainly were two very similar 34-star flag print blocks originally. It was easier to modify these blocks rather than create brand new ones. In these particular instances, the results are rare, quirky configurations that are highly prized by collectors. 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 on the same day. The 38 star flag became official on July 4th, 1877 and was generally used until the addition of the Dakotas in 1889. Provenance: Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques to the late collector Jim Ring...

This is a rare 31-star medallion printed American flag, celebrating the addition of California to the Union. The flag is printed on silk and has a spectacular “Great Star” canton pat...

This is an uncommon 42-star flag, commemorating the addition of the state of Washington to the Union. The flag dates to 1889-1890, and is printed on cotton. The canton consists of s...

This 45-star United States flag celebrates the statehood of Utah. 45-star flags served as the official American flag from 1896-1908. This particular flag was flown as a parade flag. ...

This is a beautiful 13-star American flag, each star sewn with zig-zag stitching. The wool flag was sewn at the turn of the century, circa 1900. The flag features 13 white stars rest...