U.S. 38 Star Flag, Triple Ring.
In 1876, America celebrated its centennial as an independent country. When Colorado attained statehood on August 1 that year, it took on the nickname "the Centennial State." The Stars and Stripes wasn't altered until July 4 the next year, however, in keeping with legal requirements. The new 38-star flag of 1877 flew for 13 years during the administrations of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison. Between the Civil War and the Centennial Observance, quite a number of American flag makers produced flags that symbolized the federal union by arranging the stars in rings of symbolic equality, Since neither the first, second or third Flag Act had specified any particular method of arranging the stars of the "New Constellation", flag makers were free to choose the arrangement that they found most aesthetic.

Thirteen alternating red and white stripes, commencing and ending with red. Thirty-eight stars, each press dyed and 0.75 inches across in a circle pattern, printed on the obverse and reverse sides of the 9 inches x 10.5 inches union/canton. The stars are arranged in a series of three concentric rings around a center star (center, ring of 5, ring of 10, ring of 20) with two added stars, one in each corner of the fly corners of the canton. The flag is attached with a pressed and stapled-in stick.

Comments: Text on pole: "38 stars 17" x 25." "
Text on tag attached to flag: "488" and "B-589." Framed (outside dimensions 23 x 31). This important flag was acquired at a Wesley Cowan Auction 1997. Circa 1876 possible for the centinnel celebration in anticipation of the 38th state Colorado.

Exhibition History
First Presidio Exhibit, 2003


Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - GALLERY V

Publications History

Crump, Anne, David Studarus, photographer, "A Grand Old Obsession." American Spirit: Daughters of the American revolution Magazine: July/August 2003: P.16.

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 94.


Provenance
Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC1385) in 1997 from C. Wesley Cowan of Cincinnati, OH.


ZFC Important Flag
Item is Framed