ZFC Item Section - U.S. 16 Stars - Academy of Natural Sciences.

Exhibits Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
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.

Exhibits

Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.

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 Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
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"

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"