Price: Call 618-553-2291, or email info@bonsellamericana.com
Frame Size (H x L): 26.5” x 39”
Flag Size (H x L): 40” x 52.5”

Offered is a thirty-three star antique flag.  It is one of approximately ten known examples and is outstanding in every respect.  It is printed on glazed cotton.  The star pattern of this flag includes a center star that is surrounded by three concentric rings of stars.  The inner ring includes four stars, the middle ring includes ten stars, and the outer ring includes sixteen stars.  The outer ring is flanked by an additional upper right star and a lower right star.  This pattern is referred to as an offset medallion pattern, and is one of the classic configurations associated with nineteenth century antique flags.  

The red stripes of this flag are orange in appearance, while the blue canton is dark blue in appearance.  The First Flag Act of 1777 specified the number of stripes and the colors of the flag, but did not specify the exact shades of each color, which is why some flags—like this one—have unusual colors.  The exact shades were not officially specified until 1934.

The thirty-three star flag represents the inclusion of Oregon to the Union.  Oregon was admitted on February 14th, 1859, and this flag became official on July 4th, 1859.  Use of the thirty-three star flag overlapped the beginning of the Civil War, as evidenced by, for example, a thirty-three star flag being flown at Fort Sumter when Confederate soldiers attacked it.  Flags associated with the Civil War time period are among the rarest and most collectible of all antique flags.  Prior to the Civil War, Americans did not typically display flags for patriotic purposes, and even the military did not regularly use it.  Instead, most flags prior to the Civil War were used to mark ships and were massive in scale.  The surge in small US flags for patriotic purposes began with the election of Lincoln and the onset of the Civil War.

Flags predating the Civil War (1861-1865) are the rarest and most desirable of all US flags.  Prior to the Civil War, Americans did not typically display flags for patriotic purposes, and even the military did not regularly display it.  This is because it was not until 1834 that the army field artillery was permitted to carry the traditional US flag, and not until 1841 that regiments carried it.  Most flags made prior to the Civil War were used to mark ships and were large in scale.  For these reasons, flags made prior to the Civil War account for only around 1-in-100 flags made in the 19th century, and examples small enough to display are even more scarce.  It was not until 1861 that flags were produced in large numbers, and private citizens began waving them in public and displaying them at home.

The thirty-three star flag was official until July 4th, 1861, the time at which the thirty-four star flag became official and began to represent the inclusion of Kansas in the Union.  

Conservation Process: This flag was hand sewn to cotton fabric, and both were hand sewn to a mounting board.  To prevent the black dye in the cotton fabric from seeping into the flag, it was first washed in a standard wash and then in a dye setting wash.  The flag is positioned behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: This offering is in a contemporary wooden frame of the highest quality. 

Condition Report: There is staining and foxing, particularly along the fly end.   

Collectability Level: The Extraordinary – Museum Quality Offerings
Date of Origin: 1859-1861
Number of Stars: 33
Associated War: Pre-Civil War
Associated State: Oregon