Description

Very Rare 39 Star Parade Flag with the stars arranged in circles called a medallion. Also called a luminary flag. Very rare scattered star pattern flag.

Only a few examples of this flag are known to exist. Dates to 1890 when five States were added to the Union on one day, July 4th 1890 Made of printed cotton. Benjamin Harrison was President. Flag Size:10″x15″ Frame Size:20″x25″ Great looking flag with rare star pattern. A Great rare Old American Flag.

Thirty-nine star flags are an oddity in that their star count was never official. They were made at two different times, initially in 1876 and later in 1889. In 1876, before the admission of Colorado, flag makers speculated that an additional territory would also be admitted therewith. Because of this, some flag makers went from making thirty-seven star flags to thirty-nine star versions in 1876 (e.g., in patriotic centennial quilts). Instead, what occurred was only Colorado was admitted, and the flag went from thirty-seven stars to thirty-nine in 1876.

Later, in 1889, Congress considered adding the Dakota Territory as a single state, and based on this, some flag makers made anticipatory thirty-nine star flags. What happened, however, was that the Dakota Territory was then split it into two states: North Dakota and South Dakota, and they were both admitted on November 2nd, 1889. This unexpectedly increased the star count, in 1889, from thirty-eight stars to forty stars, not to mention the unexpected increase from forty stars to forty-three stars this same year (i.e., the unexpected inclusion of Montana, Washington, and Idaho). The Flag Act of 1818 specified that the addition of each star should be on the Fourth of July following a state’s admission to the Union. Because North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho were all admitted in 1889, the official star count of the official US flag increased from thirty-eight to forty-three in just a single year. Despite this, flag makers made thirty-nine star anticipatory flags based on incorrect assumptions of how and when new states would be admitted to the Union.

Historical Americana has been buying and selling antique American Flags and Americana for over twenty years. I have personally seen and handled and purchased thousands of antique flags over the years.

I have consulted with numerous museums across the country including The National Archives, PBS, various film production companies for national TV Shows, major motion pictures, major collectors, and large and small auction houses over the years in selling, loaning, describing, documenting, and identifying various antique flags and antique textiles.

I have been interviewed for many national magazines and newspaper articles on antique flags and rare Americana.

Our flags and rare Americana have been featured in numerous antique trade publications, newspapers and major national decorator magazines, national TV shows and major movies.

I have also worked with numerous major retail corporations, major on-line retailers, major on-line catalogs, many prominent national interior designers, and architects.

Historical Americana has been buying and selling rare, unique antique relics and rare American Flags and Americana for over twenty years. I have personally seen and handled and purchased thousands of antiques & antique flags over the years.

We use modern museum framing technology to frame our antique flags.

Please do not be intimated by dealers that have outrageous prices on their flags and say if any flags is sold for less than their (highly inflated prices) it can’t possibly be real. Really?…

If you want to pay more for the same flag, please do

I have more experience on antique flags than most museum curators, auction house appraisers who may see only a few flags each year and most flag dealers sometime make erroneous statements and opinions on flags because of lack of experience.

Conservation

Our in-house professional framers use only conservation framing methods used by museums. We only use acid free cotton rag mats and gas free materials along with safe ultra-clear UV acrylic. The UV acrylic is clearer than glass and unlike glass it will not break. Our flags are museum mounted using safe acid free hinges, which does not damage the flag in any way like sewing flags down does. The hinge mounting is completely reversible which is the prime focus to achieve in conservation framing.

Sewing a flag down as some framers and company’s do is very costly to the customer and can damage the flag.  Sewing flags down is an out of date, old process that can and usually does damage the flag over time as it hangs in the frame.  In some cases, sewing the flag down can cause irreparable damage and ruin your investment in the flag you purchased.

This is what happened to the Old Glory Flag in the Smithsonian.  The Smithsonian conservators spent millions of dollars to repair and reverse the damage to the flag caused by sewing the historical flag down.  Framers have used the sewing method in the past and some do now because they do not know any better and are stuck with a failed technology and the main reason is they make much more money from the customer by charging huge fees to sew a flag down. Time has proved sewing a flag down is damaging to the flag and very costly to the customer.  Our mounting process is safe, cost effective and preserves the antique flag for generations to come.

We do all this and sell our flags at very reasonable prices unlike many dealers…

Selling only Genuine Authentic antiques & rare American Flags