Frame Size (H x L): 7.25” x 8.5”
Flag Size (H x L): 1.5” x 3.25”

Offered is an exceptional parade flag with the following, folksy overprint:

BARBECUE!
— JULY 4^TH, 1888. —
--- R. HUNTER, ---
— dealer in —
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W, VA.

It is the first such flag that we have ever encountered. Because of this, and because it would have been made in such low quantities in the first place, it is likely the only remaining survivor.

R. Hunter is in reference to Romanus Hunter, a Berkeley Springs businessman. In 1870, Romanus founded the “R. Hunter Harness and Wagon Shop,” on the corner of Mercer and Independence Streets. Its initial focus was carriages, wagons, and harnesses, but it later expanded into animal feeds, plows, and implements. In 1917, Romanus’s children purchased his interest in the company, relocated it, and renamed it “R. Hunters & Sons.” The following year two of Romanus’s three sons succumbed to influenza. In turn, Hunter’s brother—W. Jack Hunter—stepped up, continued its operations, and renamed it “W. Jack Hunter & Son.” In 1928, Jack moved the shop to a newly constructed building on the north side of Independence Street. The shop is still in operation, at this location, as Hunter Hardware. It is one of the oldest—if not the very oldest—continuously operating businesses in Morgan County, West Virginia.

Referring back to the flag, it is printed on cotton and includes just seven stars. Seven-star flags were made with southern sympathies to commemorate the first wave of states that seceded from the Union, beginning in 1861. The first wave included Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. A second wave included Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, and it completed the final grouping of the Confederate States of America. Not only did Southerners wave seven-star parade flags, they also occasionally waved eight-star and nine-star versions, though with much less frequency. They, too, celebrated the initial wave of states seceding from 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 flag is in an Eastlake frame, which dates to approximately 1875.

Condition Report: There is a small tear, located at the lower left corner. There is a small black stain under the overprint (i.e., possibly a drip of black from the application of the overprint). There is some light fading and staining. Overall, it is attractive and age appropriate.

Collectability Level: The Great – Perfect for Rising Collectors
Date of Origin: 1888
Number of Stars: 7
Associated War: The Indian Wars (1860-1890)
Associated State: The Confederate States