FLAG INFORMATION PAGES
TYPES OF FLAGS
Sewn Flags and Printed Flags The sewing machine was invented in 1840, it grew in use
till in the 1870's when they were used everywhere for
everything. So you will only find hand sewn flags up till
the late 1840's. These flags are very rare and very
expensive.
Printed flags are made basically two ways, stenciling
and printed, as with any other type of material/fabric of
the day. Stenciling goes way back in history, so it's
possible to find really old stencil printed flags.
Flying Flags and Parade Flags
Flags that were flown & used outdoors are usually
made of wool and most were very large, some were huge. Usually
they are all hand sewn & then later machine sewn. These
were mostly used by the military & the government.
Parade flags were mostly made of cotton. They did use
a starched gauze or light weight muslin and also you may
fine some made of silk, which was very expense back then.
These were printed or stenciled and are usually 2'x3' but
mostly in the 12"x 17" or smaller size.
This is really what determines the worth of a flag for
a collector. The fewer the more expensive. The fewer the
more rare it is. The more bazaar the stars are arranged
the rarer & more expensive it is. Are the stars sewn
on, printed, or embroidered.
Overprinted Flags
This is a flag that has printing on it such as advertising
or to promote a political candidate. During 1860 & 1864
for the two presidential elections with Lincoln, political
candidate flags were all the rage. Today these flags are
worth a small fortune if you can find one. In 1912 President
Taft Issued an executive order that from now on all flags
had to be a certain proportion, the stars had to face straight
up and be in even rows. He also outlawed any writing on
a flag.
Today the price of a flag is determined by many factors.
The Size, material used, how it's made, the number of
stars, any special importance attached to it, condition,
the arrangement of the stars, and your personal attraction
to it.
Summary
The look of our flag has evolved for over 200 years,
and each one of these beautiful old pieces of cloth is as
individual as each American.
For the shed blood of brave soldiers to fight for it
to keep us free for 229 years.
To imagine to take ordinary individual pieces of red,
white & blue cloth, sew them together to form our flag
and it becomes the great, majestic banner of the United
States of America, that men & women have died for, that
downtrodden people from all over the world, for over two
hundred years have long for, to be free. It represents freedom
to all those who are oppressed.
Written by: Steve Winters
Copyright © 2004-2008, Historical Americana Co.
Reference books
The Stars and Stripes
By Boleslaw and Marie-Louise D'Otrange
Mastai
Published by Knopf
IBSN: 0-394-47217-9
Stars and Stripes
By Deborah Harding
Published by Rizzoli International
IBSN: 8-8478-2485-3 |
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