U.S. 16 Stars - Academy of Natural Sciences.

16 Star US Flag, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, America's First Museum, circa 1796-1812.

According to provenance records accompanying this flag, it was flown over the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, founded in 1812. William S. Vaux, a noted mineralogist, whose father was also associated with the Academy, is credited with donating it to that institution. It is surmised that this might have been a Vaux family flag, because the 16th star predates the formation of the Academy.

The initial technical analysis of the cotton sewing thread used in the construction of this flag was done before more recent scholarship established the use of cotton in the 18th century; so the suggestions that the flag was sewn in the mid-19th Century are no longer valid.

Sixteen star flags are exceedingly rare. After Vermont and Kentucky joined the Union in 1791 and 1792 respectively, Congress approved a 15-star 15-stripe flag in 1795. After that no new stars were added to the flag to officially recognize new states until a revised law went into effect in 1818.

The idea of altering the flag created much opposition. In addition raised a dichotomy between ship owners who said that adding stars and stripes would be very costly for them, and flag makers who did not hesitate to manufacture flags like this one, with stars for all the states and sometimes with an equal number of stripes.

This unofficial 16-star flag saluted the sixteenth state, Tennessee, which joined the Union in 1796. Later there were also unofficial flags representing Ohio (1803), Louisiana (1812), and Indiana (1816).



Exhibition History:
First Presidio Exhibit
16-Star United States Flag (Possibly Commemorative)
Date: About 1840-1850

Publication History:
Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 35.

Provenance:
• Vaux family, Philadelphia, PA, 1803/12.
• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, PA, 1812 - 1965.
• Donated to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum (SSBFH),1965.
• Purchased by private treaty by the Zaricor Flag Collection from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD, in 1996.


Sources:

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Madaus, Howard M.- Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict, VZ Publications, Santa Cruz, 2006. P.35.

The Academy of Natural Sciences, Wikipedia, 25 October 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Natural_Sciences

History of the Academy, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 25 October 2011, from: http://www.ansp.org/about/history.php

William S. Vaux, The Mineralogical Record, 25 October 2011, from: http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=317

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	52.5
Length of Fly	116.625

Union/Canton
Width of Union/Canton	22.375
Length of Union/Canton	34.375

Stars
Comments on Star Measurements	Stars vary in size and width. Center star is 7" other stars are approx. 4.5"

Stripes
Width of 1st Stripe	4
Width of 3rd Stripe	4
Width of 8th Stripe	4.25
Width of Last Stripe	3.875
Size of Hoist	0.625

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	60
Frame Length	120

Stars
Number of Stars	16
How are the stars embeded?	Applique
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes

Stripes
Number of Stripes	13
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	Red
Has a Blood Stripe?	yes
Comments on Stripes	Bottom stripe is missing sections of the stripe.

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Cotton
Comments on Fabric	Faded

Stitching
Stitching	Hand
Comments on Stitching	Professional

Thread
Type of Thread	3/2 Ply S
Thread Material	Cotton
Comments on Thread Material	S Twist

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Thin strings were used to attach the flag.
Method of Attachment	Ties

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Drawings
Research Documents
Public Copy & Signs

Condition
Condition	Fair
Damage	Burn holes and marks below canton. Rips and horizontal tears. Trending to good.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1796 to 1803

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0423) 16-STAR UNITED STATES FLAG (POSSIBLY COMMEMORATIVE) Date: About 1840-1850 Medium: Cotton; hand-stitched Comment: According to provenance records accompanying it, this flag was flown over the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, founded in 1812. It supposedly had been donated to that institution by William S. Vaux, a noted mineralogist, whose father was also associated with the Academy. The sixteenth state, Tennessee, had joined the Union in January 1796. By the time the Academy of Natural Sciences had been formed, Ohio had also become a state (1803). It was followed by Louisiana, the eighteenth state, in 1812. It has been surmised that this may have been a Vaux family flag, predating the formation of the Academy. However, technical analysis of the sewing thread used in the construction of this flag suggests that it is unlikely that it was manufactured before1840. This raises the possibility that it is a commemorative flag - possibly made for the twenty-fifth (1837), thirty-fifth (1847), or fiftieth anniversary (1862) of the founding of the Academy. Until further research is conducted on the dating of cotton sewing threads, any verdict regarding the date of this flag is speculative. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0423) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Second Presidio Exhibit Gallery One Copy - 2003 ZFC0423 16-Star United States Flag, Possibly Commemorative Date: About 1840-1850 16 Stars: Unofficial (Tennessee statehood June 1, 1796) Medium: Cotton; hand-stitched Comment: According to provenance records accompanying it, this flag was flown over the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, founded in 1812. It supposedly had been donated to that institution by William S. Vaux, a noted mineralogist, whose father was also associated with the Academy. The sixteenth state, Tennessee, had joined the Union in January 1796. By the time the Academy of Natural Sciences had been formed, Ohio had also become a state (1803). It was followed by Louisiana, the eighteenth state, in 1812. It has been surmised that this may have been a Vaux family flag, predating the formation of the Academy. However, technical analysis of the sewing thread used in the construction of this flag suggests that it is unlikely that it was manufactured before1840. This raises the possibility that it is a commemorative flag,- possibly made for the twenty-fifth (1837), thirty-fifth (1847), or fiftieth anniversary (1862) of the founding of the Academy. Until further research is conducted on the dating of cotton sewing threads, any verdict regarding the date of this flag is speculative. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0423) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. The exhibition text was written by Howard Michael Madaus, Exhibition Director of the ZFC's Flag Center, utilizing Zaricor Flag Collection archives.

Publications

Publication Copy

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 35. "16-Star United States Flag According to the documentation of this flag's provenance, it was the first flag flown over the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. That institution was founded in 1812, when the nation was comprised of seventeen, and then eighteen states. However, this flag bears only sixteen stars, more appropriate to the period 1796-1802, consequent to Tennessee's admission to the Union. The flag also has an association with the Vaux family of Philadelphia. William S. Vaux (1811-1882) was a noted mineralogist who made donations to the Academy. His son George was Treasurer of the Academy at the turn of the 20th century. It has been suggested that this may have been a Vaux family flag, predating the formation of the Academy. However, the earliest date for the manufacture of the sewing thread used in the construction of this flag is in dispute. Until further research is conducted on the dating of cotton sewing threads, any verdict regarding the date of this flag is speculative. In 1812, when the Academy was founded, the U.S. president was James Madison. Dates: (1802) 1812 - 1818 (1840) Size: 52.5" hoist x 117" fly 16 Stars: Unofficial (Tennessee statehood June 1, 1796) Medium: Cotton; hand-stitched Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD., who obtained it in 1964 from Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. ZFC0423"