Illinois Centennial 1919 Commemorative Flag
This is a small, screen printed, polished cotton commemorative flag from the Illinois Centennial in 1919. These flags were used by the Illinois Centennial Commission to decorate the various centennial events held throughout Illinois. Based upon illustrations they were available in both flags like this one, or as a vertical banner with the stars all arranged one point up.
The design commemorates Illinois as the 21st stars, and this is represented in the design: two blue triangles of 10 stars each representing the northern and southern states with a large center star representing Illinois. The flag is inscribed Chicago Historical Society, an important repository of historic flags from the Midwest.
The flag was designed by Wallace Rice, the same person who designed the Chicago City flag. He was apparently inspired by Springfield artist George H. Schanbacher who executed the decorative paintings at both the Illinois Capitol rotund and the ceiling of the State Library with murals. His rotunda paintings depict eagles and shields between statues. The shields have ten stars on either side of a blue ribbon featuring a large white star, centered.
This flag was formerly par of the flag collection of the Chicago Historical Society that was deaccessed in the 1980s. Some of these flags were acquired by the Tumbling Waters Museum of Flags (TWMF) in Montgomery Alabama. After the failure and closure of that institution the collection was given to the care of the Alabama Historical society who culled the flags, keeping some and disposing of the rest. Eventually they came into sale at auction by R. Edwin Miller of Autaugaville, Alabama.
ZFC Important Flag
