FLAG INFORMATION & HISTORY OF AMERICAN FLAG MANUFACTURING ANTIQUE US FLAGS ARE CATEGORIZED INTO TWO TYPES;

SEWN FLAGS;/ Large Flags

HAND SEWN–

1770’S TO 1860’S SEWN FLAGS ARE RARE &

VERY EXPENSIVE. FLAGS FROM THIS ERA ARE FAIRLY RARE. MOSTR ARE LARGE FLAGS MADE FOR THE MILITARY AND US GOVERNMENT. FAMILY FLAGS FROM THIS ERA ARE ALL HAND SEWN.

TREADLE MACHINE SEWN–

THE TREADLE SEWING MACHINE WAS INVENTED IN THE US IN 1841. PRODUCTION STARTED IN 1845. BY THE LATE 1860’S THEY WERE IN WIDE USE.

A MANUAL SEWING MACHINE POWERED BY A FOOT PUMP . FROM THE 1870’S THE VAST MAJORITY OF FLAGS WERE TREADLE SEWN.

ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINE–

WAS INVENTED BY SINGER IN 1889. THEY GAINED IN POPULARITY AS ELECTRICITY SPEARD ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BY 1917 JUST ABOUT EVERYTING WAS SEWN BY AN ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINE.

PARADE FLAGS;

STENCILED– EARLIEST EXAMPLES OF PRINTED PARADE FLAGS. USUALLY MADE ONE AT A TIME BY THE SILK SCREENING PROCESS WHICH WAS INVENTED AROUND THE YEAR 1400 AD. UNUSUALLY ONTO A INEXPENSIVE FABRIC OF THE ERA, STARCHED MUSLIN OR STARCHED GAUZE. SOME PEOPLE DESCRIBE THIS PROCESS AS PRESS PRINTING.

PRINTED–

MASS PRODUCED IN A TEXTILE MILL SAME AS ANY FABRIC THAT WOULD BE PRODUCED TO MAKE CLOTHES FROM PRINTED CLOTH USUALLY COTTON.

PARADE FLAGS WERE FIRST DOCUMENTED TO BE MADE & USED DURING THE TWO PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN 1858-1860 AND AGAIN TO 1864-1865.

THEY CAME INTO GREAT POPULARITY DURING THE CENTENNIAL IN 1876 & FROM THERE ON THEY GREW IN USE & POPULARITY.

ANTIQUE PARADE FLAGS ARE STILL AFFORDABLE FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO DESIRE TO OWN AN AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG.

ANTIQUE FLAGS ARE MADE OF MANY FABRICS;

WOOL –     USUALLY MILITARY FLAGS

COTTON – MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEAVES

SILK –        PRE-1900 IMPORTED, AFTER 1900 MADE USA & OTHER COUNTRIES. VERY EXPENSIVE TO OWN BEFORE WWII

LINEN –     USUALLY A VERY FINE HIGH QUALITY FLAG

MUSLIN – VERY SIMILAR TO STARCHED GAUZE

STARCHED GAUZE –    CHEAPEST FABRIC AT THE TIME

OIL CLOTH – RARE TO FIND, A STIFF CANVAS MATERIAL.

AFTER WWII, MOST FLAGS WERE MADE FROM NYLON AND OTHER SYNTHETIC POLYESTER MATERIALS.

COLLECTABILITY OF ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAGS;

48 & 50 STAR FLAGS ARE IN GREAT ABUNDANCE.

THE 48 STAR FLAG WAS IN USE FOR 47 YEARS AND THE 50 STAR FLAG HAS BEEN USED NOW FOR 49 YEARS.

(48 1912-1959)  (49 1959) (50 1959 TO PRESENT.)

OUT OF THIS GROUP 48 STAR FLAGS FROM WWI & WWI ARE THE MOST COLLECTABLE.

47 STAR FLAGS ARE EXTREMELY RARE. YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER SEE ONE. 1912

46 STAR FLAGS USED FOR 4 YEARS 1908-1912

45 STAR FLAGS USED FOR 5 YEARS. 1896-1908

44 STAR FLAGS USED FOR 5 YEARS. 1891-1896

43, 42, 41, 40, 39 FLAGS ARE RARE AS THEY WERE INSTANTLY OBSOLETE IN 1890

PRE-1900 ERA FLAGS ARE RARE BECAUSE FEW WERE MADE AND THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES WAS LOW & STILL GROWING. THE MASS IMMIGRANT GROWTH HAD NOT YET STARTED.

38 STAR FLAGS USED FOR 13 YEARS. 1877-1890

37 STAR FLAGS USED FOR 10 YEARS BUT RARELY ARE FOUND. 1867-1877

THE 34, 35, 36 STAR FLAGS ARE KNOWN AS CIVIL WAR FLAGS, THEY ARE HIGHLY PRIZED AND COLLECTED BY SERIOUS COLLECTORS.

36 STAR FLAG USED FOR 2 YEARS 1865-1867

35 STAR FLAG USED FOR 2 YEARS 1863-1865

34 STAR FLAG USED FOR 2 YEARS 1861-1863

33 STAR FLAGS AND LESS ARE VERY RARE AND SELDOM FOUND.

PRE-1800 ERA AMERICAN FLAGS, KNOWN AS REVOLUTIONARY WAR FLAGS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND COMMAND PRICES OF

$5 MILLION DOLLARS EACH AND UP. SOTHEBYS SOLD FOUR ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO FOR $26 MILLION DOLLARS + THE BUYERS PREMIUM.

IT IS HIGHLY DESIREABLE TO FIND SEWING ON A FLAG, BY HAND OR MACHINE.

PRE-1900 ERA POLITICAL CAMPAIGN BANNERS & FLAGSARE HIGHLY PRIZED AS THEY ARE RARE.  ITEMS LIKE THIS FROM LINCOLN AND PRE-CIVIL WAR PRESIDENTS ARE RARE AND COMMAND HIGH PRICES.

CIVIL WAR FLAGS AND CIVIL WAR MILITARY FLAGS& UNIT FLAGS ARE VERY RARE AND HIGHLY PRIZED BY SERIOUS COLLECTORS.

FLAG DESIGN

PRIOR TO 1912 FLAG MAKERS COULD PRODUCE AMERICAN FLAGS WITH ANY STAR PATTERN THEY COULD THINK OF, ANY PROPORTION AND OUT OF ANY MATERIAL. IN 1912 PRESIDENT TAFT ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO STANDARDIZE THE MANFACTUR OF FLAGS.

THE CONSTITUTION ONLY PROVIDES ONE SENTENCE TO GUIDE US IN MAKING THE AMERICAN FLAG;

RESOLVED, THAT THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES BE MADE OF 13 STRIPES ALTERNATING RED AND WHITE THAT THE UNION BE 13 STARS, WHITE IN A BLUE FIELD REPRESENTING A NEW CONSTALLATION.

CONSEQUENTLY, FLAGS WITH THE STARS ARRANGED IN CIRCLES CALLED MEDALLIONS, OR IN THE SHAPE OF A STAR ARE RARE EXAMPLES AND ARE HIGHLY PRIZED AND COLLECTED BY SERIOUS BUYERS.

Copyright Steve Winters 2013

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