OBVERSE 1

OBVERSE 1

INFO.

INFO.

CANTON

CANTON

REVERSE 1

REVERSE 1

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

DETAIL

REVERSE 1

REVERSE 1

ZFC0680

U.S. 34 Star Flag - Secretary of Navy Middendorf.

Sub-collection: Mastai - Early American Flags

34 Star US Flag, 1861 - 1864, foreign made, former Secretary of Navy J. William Middendorf collection, former Mastai
This flag has a star pattern running in a 4-6-6-6-6-6 row series and a double layered canton. It features an extra-large header (5.5 inches wide, which is unusual) with an even more unusual method of attachment; a rope and loop header. The canton rests on a red stripe. Markings on the header read, "Ex. Coll. Ambassador Middendorf". Several generations of the Middendorf family up to the 1970's were officials in the government (State and War Departments) and admirals in the US Navy. Ambassador Middendorf was a flag collector of note, donating several flags to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum in Baltimore. 

This flag was possibly made in Europe in the 1860s, indicated by the unique construction of the flag which includes a header ending at the length of the canton with stripes extending to the attachment rope. 


ZFC Significant Flag

Provenance:
• Secretary of Navy J. William Middendorf
• Acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Boleslaw & Marie-Louise D'Otrange Mastai, New York City, and Amagansett, NY, The Mastai Collection, until 2002.
• Sold via Sotheby's Auction in New York City to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 2002.


Sources:



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

Mastai, Boleslaw and Marie-Louise D'Otrange, The Stars and The Stripes: The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the republic to the Present, Knopf, New York, 1973.

John William Middendorf II, Wikipedia, 11 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._William_Middendorf

J. William Middendorf II, Council of American Ambassadors, 11 November 2011, from:http://www.americanambassadors.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Members.view&memberid=137

34 Star Flag - (1861-1863) (U.S.), Flags of the World, 11 November 2011, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-1861.html

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection



Hoist & Fly

Width of Hoist 70.5
Length of Fly 145

Union/Canton

Width of Union/Canton 33
Length of Union/Canton 32

Stars

Comments on Star Measurements 4-6-6-6-6-6 horizontal rows
Cotton stars
Size of Stars 4.5

Stripes

Width of 1st Stripe 4.75
Width of 3rd Stripe 4.75
Width of 8th Stripe 6.5
Width of Last Stripe 2.75
Size of Hoist 1.75

Frame

Is it framed? no

Stars

Number of Stars 34
Are there stars on obverse? yes
Are there stars on reverse? yes

Stripes

Color of Top Stripe Red
Color of Bottom Stripe Red
Has a Blood Stripe? no
Comments on Stripes The white stripes are made of cotton and the red stripes are made of wool.

Nationality

Nation Represented United States

Fabric

Fabric Wool-cotton
Comments on Fabric The canton may be made of silk or a silk blend.

Stitching

Stitching Combination
Comments on Stitching Hand & Machine stitching

Weave

Type of Weave Plain

Attachment

Comments on Method of Attachmen Each loop sewn from a separate rope piece.
Through header
Method of Attachment Loops

Applica

Applique Sides Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation

Research Documents


















Condition

Condition Poor
Damage Used, soiled, stained, water damage and severe mildew.
Trending to fair
Displayable yes

Date

Date 1863-1865