Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 6

Entirely Hand Swen 13 Star American Flag, U.S Navy Boat Ensign

$1List Price

About the Item

ENTIRELY HAND-SEWN, 13 STAR, U.S. NAVY SMALL BOAT ENSIGN, CA 1882-1890 13 star American national flag of the type used by the U.S. Navy on small boats in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries. The Navy produced signals in several locations, including Brooklyn, New York, Mare Island, California, Boston, and Cavite in the Philippine Islands. With but a few exceptions, such flags went unmarked until the tail end of the 1880's and after. It was during this same decade that the size of the stars increased significantly and this change in scale made a significant contribution to the flags’ visual presentation. Made in the customary fashion of the time, the stars configured in staggered linear rows of 3-2-3-2-3. These are made of cotton and are double-appliquéd (applied to both sides), and all of the stars are oriented on their vertical axis so that one point is facing upwards. There is a sailcloth canvas binding along the hoist, with three hand sewn, whip-stitched grommets. The fact that the flag is entirely hand sewn throughout is indicative of most Navy flags made in the brief period from approximately 1882-1890. From 1882-1899 Naval regulations dictated only three official sizes of small boat flags, all of which were newly devised and employed odd, fractional measurements. The smallest was a No. 8 ensign, designated as 2.37 x 4.5 feet. At 2.53 x 4 feet (31” x 48”), this particular flag loosely approximates the prescribed scale. I would be a bit more suspicious of the variation had I not encountered it throughout U.S. Navy flags in general. In addition, I previously bought and sold another 13 star example of the same period, definitely of U.S. Navy origin, with measurements of 28.5” x 49” and bearing a black-inked, “No. 8” stencil. While the Navy made many so presented itself of its own flags, they also Sub-contracted to private sources as need required. Because American commercial makers often offered flags in 6” or 12” increments (probably with hoist bindings and possibly even stripes and cantons pre-cut to speed production), 2.5 x 4 feet would have been a more logical size to encounter outside military production. While flags measuring 2.5 x 4 feet were highly unusual prior to 1890, by around 1895 these proportions had become commonplace in commercially-made flags, most of which were being produced with 13 stars for private consumption. In addition to the flag’s entirely hand sewn construction, (extremely uncommon in the 1880s,) one of its most appealing physical features is its small size when compared to others made for extended outdoor use during the 19th century. Printed parade flags (sometimes called hand-wavers) were made for short-term use and were generally three feet long or smaller, but flags with pieced-and-sewn construction were generally 8 feet long and larger. This is because most flags needed to be seen from a great distance to be effective in their purpose as signals. Even flags made for decorative use were often very large by modern standards. Because the average pieced-and-sewn flag of this era is difficult to frame and display in an indoor setting, small flags like this one, especially with military attribution, are of special interest to collectors. 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. Why 13 Stars? As the number of stars grew with the addition of new states, it became more and more difficult to fit their full complement on a small flag. The stars would, by necessity, have to become smaller, which made it more and more difficult to view them from a distance as individual objects. The fear was that too many of them close together would become as one white mass and distort the ability to identify American ships on the open seas. Keeping the count low allowed for better visibility. The U.S. Navy used 13 stars on its small-scale flags for precisely this reason, but flag experts disagree about the precisely when the Navy began to revert to 13 stars and other low counts for 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. This was, of course, the original number of stars on the first American national flag, by way of the First Flag Act of 1777, and equal to the number of original colonies that became states. Any American flag that has previously been official remains so according to the flag acts, so it remains perfectly acceptable to fly 13 star flags today by way of congressional law. Although the official use of 13 star flags by the U.S. Navy theoretically ended in 1916, following an Executive Order of President Woodrow Wilson, old military traditions die hard and according to at least one expert, Wilson’s order did not completely dispel the presence of 13 star flags on U.S. Navy Craft. Mounting: The flag was mounted and framed in our own textile conservation department, which is led by expert trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and have framed thousands of examples. Feel free to contact us for more details. The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color. The black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed molding is Italian. The glazing is U.V. protective plexiglass. Condition: There is a crudely stitched repair in the upper, hoist-end corner of the canton, accompanied by minor to moderate areas of loss along the hoist end edge, where the canton meets the stripes. There is minor to modest mothing throughout, accompanied by moderate holes and losses in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, and 11th stripes. There is minor to modest soiling throughout in the white stripes, accompanied by moderate soiling in a number of the stars, especially towards the fly end. Fabric of similar coloration was placed behind the flag during the mounting process. The flag has a crude overall appearance that definitely displays its age. Frame size (H x L): 42.5" x 59.5" Flag size (H x L): 31" x 48.

Dimensions:
Height: 42.5 in (107.95 cm)Width: 59.5 in (151.13 cm)Length: 42.5 in (107.95 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Wool
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1882-1890
Condition:
See Item Description.
Seller Location:
York County, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: 13j-15241stDibs: LU849718807942

Antique 1850s American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Silk

31-Star Printed American Flag, Celebrating California Statehood, Circa 1850

$38,500

H 43 in W 50.5 in D 2.5 in

Antique Federal Eagle American 50 Star Flag with Brass Eagle Pole, 19th Century

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

Monumental 50 star American Flag with antique Federal Eagle brass and wood pole. A patriotic piece suitable for any home. This set includes both ...

Category

Antique 19th Century American Federal Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Antique Federal Eagle American 50 Star Flag with Brass Eagle Pole, 19th Century

$4,500 Sale Price

25% Off

H 66 in W 69 in D 1.25 in

Antique 13-Star Patriotic Sash by Louis E. Stilz Bros., Late 19th Century

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is an original patriotic sash from the late 19th century, featuring 13 stars against a bright blue field. This sash features appliqued silver stars on a blue canton, red an...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

Antique 13-Star Patriotic Sash by Louis E. Stilz Bros., Late 19th Century

$3,500

H 47 in W 17 in D 2 in

Antique 1930 s Moise Klinkner U.S. Custodian Service Marshall Badge OBSOLETE!

Located in San Diego, CA

Up for sale is a very rare original Obsolete antique U.S. Treasury Department Custodian Service Marshall 6 point star badge dating from the late 1920's to early 1930's This is a proh...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Metal

Antique 1930 s Moise Klinkner U.S. Custodian Service Marshall Badge OBSOLETE!

$6,500

H 2.5 in Dm 2.25 in

Early 20thc 48 Star Flag Hand Crochet Pillow

Located in Los Angeles, CA

This fine hand crochet 48 star flag pillow is made with a blue velvet background or frame front and back.The insert is down & feather fill.

Category

Early 20th Century American Adirondack Pillows and Throws

Materials

Wool

Early 20thc 48 Star Flag Hand Crochet Pillow

$556 Sale Price

20% Off

H 12 in W 8 in D 5 in

King Edward VII Coronation, June 1902 Framed Red Flag

Located in Hastings, GB

King Edward VII coronation, June 1902 framed scarf / flag. This scarf is an original antique piece of British history and patriotic memorabilia. ...

Category

Antique Early 1900s British Edwardian Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

King Edward VII Coronation, June 1902 Framed Red Flag

$957

H 22.45 in W 24.41 in D 0.87 in

Antique Hand-Carved Hardwood Figural Confederate Soldier Styled Smoking Pipe

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

This very well executed hand-carved smoking pipe is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from the United States and date to approximately 1920 and done in an American Craftsman style. The pipe stem is composed of vulcanite with a silver plated band. The pipe features asvery detailed and realistic carving of a Confederate soldier...

Category

Early 20th Century American American Craftsman Tobacco Accessories

Materials

Hardwood

Antique Hand-Carved Hardwood Figural Confederate Soldier Styled Smoking Pipe

$1,295

H 3.5 in W 1.5 in D 8.75 in

Framed Nautical Flag of a Yacht Ensign

Located in Norwell, MA

Framed yacht ensign flag with embroidered fouled anchor surrounded by stars in the blue field. This panel identifies a vessel as a pleasure craft, not a commercial vessel. Weight: ...

Category

Vintage 1920s North American Nautical Objects

Materials

Cotton

Framed Nautical Flag of a Yacht Ensign

$445

H 18 in W 26 in D 1 in

Rare Antique 45-Star American Flag Hand-Painted on Cotton, Spanish-American War

Located in Doha, QA

This exceptional and exceedingly scarce 45-star American flag, commemorating Utah’s admission as the 45th state in 1896, represents one of the earliest surviving examples of a hand-p...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton, Glass, Wood, Paint

Rare Antique 45-Star American Flag Hand-Painted on Cotton, Spanish-American War

$18,000

Free Shipping

H 28.35 in W 36.23 in D 1.19 in

Old Yachting Ensign Flag in a Shadowbox Frame

Located in Norwell, MA

Antique boat flag with a fouled anchor and thirteen stars in the blue field. The United States yachting ensign was created by Congress in 1848 to identify yachts that didn't need to ...

Category

Vintage 1960s North American Nautical Objects

Materials

Cotton

Old Yachting Ensign Flag in a Shadowbox Frame

$475

H 20 in W 26 in D 2 in

More From This Seller

View All

13 Star American Parade Flag with Rare Design, circa 1888 Ex Richard Pierce

Located in York County, PA

13 Star American parade flag in an extremely rare design, with “protection to home industries” slogan on a fanciful, scrolling streamer, made for the 1888 presidential campaign of Benjamin Harrison; formerly in the collection of Richard pierce. 1888 Benjamin Harrison campaign flag, printed on cotton, with 13 large stars in a 3-2-3-2-3 pattern, upon which a whimsical, scrolling streamer is superimposed that features the slogan: “Protection to Home Industries.” There are numerous styles of both documented and undocumented, red, white, and blue bandanas and handkerchiefs, made for Harrison’s campaign in this year, as well as from the subsequent one, in 1892. Most bear variations of text to support the “Protection for American Industries” platform of the Republican Party. America was in the midst of the industrial age and there was a great deal of public interest, both in protecting growth and discouraging both imported goods and immigration. The constant stream of immigrants posed great challenges for a working families, competing for scarce jobs, in work environments that were already often far from ideal. In post-Civil War America, many of the working men were Civil War veterans. Bandanas abound from Harrison’s Campaigns, but flags do not. This example, along with three others, were once part of an 1888 patriotic quilt that was disassembled by a dealer and sold piecemeal to collectors. I eventually acquired all four. Fifteen to twenty years ago, these were the only four known copies. A couple of others have since surfaced, but the total count known still stands closer to 5 than 10. The use of 13 stars is seen in the flags of various candidates in the 19th century. Among these are Abraham Lincoln (1860 campaign), Henry Clay (1844 campaign), John Fremont (1856), and Benjamin Harrison’s grandfather, William Henry Harrison...

Category

Antique 1880s American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

13 Star American Parade Flag with Rare Design, circa 1888 Ex Richard Pierce

Price Upon Request

48 Star Crocheted Homemade American Flag, WWII Era, 1941-1945

Located in York County, PA

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...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

48 Star Crocheted Homemade American Flag, WWII Era, 1941-1945

Price Upon Request

38 Star Antique American Flag, Colorado Statehood, circa 1876-1889

Located in York County, PA

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...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Silk

38 Star Antique American Flag, Colorado Statehood, circa 1876-1889

Price Upon Request

34 Star American flag, Updated to 39 Stars, with Stars in a Great Star Pattern

Located in York County, PA

34 STARS IN A WHIMSICAL RENDITION OF THE GREAT STAR PATTERN, ON A CIVIL WAR PERIOD FLAG WITH A CORNFLOWER BLUE CANTON, UPDATED TO 39 STARS IN 1876 34 star American national flag with additional stars added and one of the most stunning graphic designs I have ever seen in early flag-making. The original pattern was comprised of a circle of 5 large stars, and triangular arms made of smaller stars. These are noticeable pointy and bent like the arms of a starfish. Made of cotton, the stars are hand-sewn and double-appliquéd to a fantastic, cornflower blue canton, a color common to Civil War uniforms...

Category

Antique 1870s American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

34 Star American flag, Updated to 39 Stars, with Stars in a Great Star Pattern

Price Upon Request

Free Shipping

36 Star Antique American Flag, Cornflower blue Canton, circa 1864-1867, Nevada

Located in York County, PA

Antique American Flag With 36 Stars On A Cornflower Blue Canton, Civil War Era, 1864-1867, Reflects The Addition Of Nevada As The 36th State; A Great Folk Exaple With Haphazard Rows Of Starfish-like Stars: 36 star American national flag of the Civil War era with outstanding collector traits. Haphazard rows of fat, starfish-shaped stars fill most of the confines of a brilliant, cornflower blue canton. Note the crude piecing of the thirteen, red and white stripes, joined in an ill-planned manner that results in great variation in width, as well as general irregularity. The 4th red stripe actually falls slightly below the canton, and the height of each does not line up with the corresponding stripe on the reverse. This can clearly be seen at the fly end, which is is turned back and bound to repair obvious extended use in an outdoor environment. Clearly the maker lacked experience in seam work. Lining up the necessary components, so that they could be viewed on both sides, presented a challenge they may have not previously faced. This is also evident in the sewing of the stars, which do not line up on the obverse and reverse sides, as they typically would in a flag sewn by an experienced flag-maker. That said, this is just this kind of homemade charm that fuels interest in early American flags...

Category

Antique 1860s American Political and Patriotic Memorabilia

Materials

Cotton

36 Star Antique American Flag, Cornflower blue Canton, circa 1864-1867, Nevada

Price Upon Request

Antique American Flag w/ Hand-Written Inscriptions Mourning the Death of FDR

Located in York County, PA

48 STARS ON ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH HAND-WRITTEN INSCRIPTIONS AND AN EMBROIDERED DATE OF APRIL 12TH, 1945, MOURNING THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT: American national parade flag with 48 stars, printed on cotton, embellished with hand-written inscriptions and an embroidered date to commemorate the death of FDR on April 12th, 1945. “On this day in 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage at his Warm Springs, Georgia, retreat at the age of 63. Roosevelt’s death in the final months of World War II was met with shock and grief throughout the Western world. Many Americans had no inkling of his decline in health. [He] had been president for more than 12 years, longer than any other person. He led the country through some of its greatest domestic and foreign crises to the impending defeat of Nazi Germany and within sight of Japan’s surrender...

Category