Rare Historical Flags Debut for the First Time in Washington
Flags from renowned Zaricor Flag Collection will be on exhibit
during the Washington Flag Congress
Alexandria, Va. - Ben Zaricor, owner of the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC), will present eight of his Collection's most historically significant U.S. flags in Alexandria, Va. at the Washington Flag Congress, hosted by the North American Vexillogical Association (NAVA), commencing on Monday, August 1. From August 1-5, the Congress will host premier scientists, historians and collectors from more than 30 countries across the globe. This is first meeting of this elite group on U.S. soil since 1986.
Mr. Zaricor will showcase notable flags from his Collection, with curator James Ferrigan, highlighting the histories of the flags and what they reveal about the era in which they were created. He will also show a period 13 star flag and announce that eight have been identified in the Collection from the Revolution and early Federal period - more than any museum or collection to date.
Notable flags include an 1805 British "Union Jack" from the Battle of Trafalgar, known to be the last remaining documented flag from the battle; two flags from President John F. Kennedy's limo in Dallas the day he was assassinated; and a rare flag from the War of 1812 captured by the British, among others.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
EVENT: Luncheon Presentation by Ben Zaricor
TIME: 12:30 pm ET
WHERE: George Washington Masonic Memorial
North Lodge Room
101 Callahan Dr.
Alexandria, VA
DESCRIPTION: Owned by renowned collector and businessman, Ben Zaricor, the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC) is the largest, most notable collection of United States and foreign flags in the world with more than 3,300 historical artifacts to its credit. The dynamic working collection is used for research, exhibition and educational purposes.
"The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflictâ„¢" airs on PBS
Also available for telephone interviews: James Ferrigan, Flag Historian, Curator, Zaricor Flag Collection Ben Zaricor, Flag Collector
"Resolved, that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white,
that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation."
Journal of the Continental Congress, June 14, 1777
More than any other people, Americans express the spirit of their lives in their national flag. The passions of politics and patriotism, in times of concord and in times of conflict, are strikingly expressed in these banners. Independence, territorial acquisition, slavery and abolition, the "westward course of empire" - these and other issues have been translated into graphic form by those who made the country's flags and those who flew them.
Based on the book by Howard Michael Madaus and Dr. Whitney Smith, this documentary traces the history of the American experience through the fascinating stories of battle flags, Custer flags, Lincoln flags, exclusionary flags, commemorative flags, World War II flags, President Kennedy's assassination flags, 9/11 flags and historical American quilts. Historians, flag collectors and prominent Americans including Norman Lear and Harold Ramis, share stories about flag collecting, the flag as art and archival footage of 19th and 20th century events. Revolutionary War and Civil War re-enactments help bring the story of the American flag to life.
The overwhelming number of interpretations of that simple formula, "thirteen red and white stripes and a blue field with white stars," is fascinating. With dozens of U.S. flag designs,
"The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflict" paints a picture of America from its beginning. The flags are artistic expressions of what America and Americans are all about.
About the Film
The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflictâ„¢ is a one-hour television documentary of the untold stories about the history of the American flag. The film is a co-production of Film Police (Chicago, IL) and Fog Kist of Santa Cruz, LLC (Santa Cruz, CA). Specially made for PBS national broadcast by filmmakers Phillip Koch and Sally Marschall with rare archival footage, beautiful images of the actual historic flags, and stirring music composed for the film, the program features revolutionary and Civil War reenactments, interviews with eminent historians and flag experts about the history of the American experience and the Flag. The film features interviews with flag historians Dr. Whitney Smith and Howard Michael Madaus, the nationally known expert on American culture Dr. Wayne Fields, and prominent Americans including well-known filmmakers Norman Lear and Harold Ramis. New facts, interpretations and insights about American flag history are revealed to the viewer by the world's leading experts on historic flags. Flag stories include very rare revolutionary era battle flags, Early American flags, Custer flags, Exclusionary flags, Civil War flags, Lincoln flags, 1876 Centennial flags, WWII flags, President Kennedy's assassination flags, 9/11 flags and historical American quilts. Flag stories also include the origin of the Pledge of Allegiance, Revolutionary War battle flag auction at Sotheby's, the Flag as art and leading flag collectors including Ben Zaricor, Kit Hinrichs, and Louise Veninga. Photographed by filmmakers Phillip Koch and Sally Marschall at locations across the country including Chicago and Springfield, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, northern Wisconsin, Vincennes, Indiana, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, this is the definitive television program about the untold history of the American flag.
Film Credits:
Written & directed by Phillip Koch
Produced by Phillip Koch & Sally Marschall
Edited by: Joel E. Denbow
Music by: Steve Mullen
Narrator: Danny Goldring
"Star-Spangled Banner" sung by Jordan Lee
Cinematographers:
Bob Long
Joe Costello
Phillip Koch
Marc Miller
John O'Shaughnessy
David West
Sound Recordists:
Steven Balick
Steve Lafayette
John Zecca
Post-Production Sound Mixer:
Brian Reed
Gaffers:
Ned Hallick
Zet Smith
Adam Reisz
Production Assistants:
Katherine Koch
Peter Kosowsky
Jennifer Sager
Make-up Artist:
Andrea Marie
Research Consultants:
Henry Berger, Ph. D. Washington University in St. Louis
Michael Semler, Ph. D. California State University, Sacramento
Archival Research:
Sarah Pagura
Nick Bahr
Sarah Kogan
Audio Post Production:
BAM! Studios, Chicago
Computer Graphics:
Scott Harris
The Filmworkers Club, Chicago
Thanks to:
Flag Center
Zaricor Flag Collection
City of Chicago Film Office
The Flag Research Center
Grouseland/William Henry Harrison Mansion Museum
State of Illinois Film Office
Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum
Naper Settlement
National Park Service
Nevada Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
Camp Fleischmann
NYC Mayor's Office of Film
New York City Police Museum
The Presidio Trust
Pritzker Military Library
Spirit of Vincennes, Indiana
Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
Wade House Historic Site
William H. Danforth, Chancellor Emeritus
Washington University in St. Louis
Judge James B. Zagel
Footage:
BBC Motion Gallery
NBC News Archives
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Streamline Films
F.I.L.M. Archives
"The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflictâ„¢"
was produced by Fog Kistâ„¢ of Santa Cruz LLC/Film Police of Chicago which is solely responsible for its content.
The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflict Exhibit
The Flag Center Presents an Exhibit of Historic American Flags, Quilts and Related Memorabilia On View in San Francisco's Presidio
Left: Presidio, San Francisco. Flag raising ceremony of the oldest American flag flown at the Presidio, June 2003. Center: Pat Warfield, Exhibit Design & Framing for Flag Center in front of a 48th US Star flag, the last to fly over the US Capitol, acquired from the Star Spangled Banner Flag House in 1995. Right: John Amaro, Exhibit Manager, 2003.
SAN FRANCISCO: An unprecedented exhibition of more than 100 flags, quilts and
flag-related memorabilia from three of the most important private collections in the
world opened Memorial Day in San Francisco's Presidio. On view through July 31,
2003, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict presents two hundred
years of U.S. history as illustrated through the evolution of the nation's most recognizable
symbol.
Featuring works of art dating from the early Federalist Period through modern
times, the exhibit is drawn from the Zaricor Flag Collection of over 1,500 flags and
related items through the 32-year effort of Ben Zaricor, founder of Good Earth Teas.
The collection has been called a "national treasure" and a "world-class exhibit" by
Congressman Mike Honda and The Presidio Trust. The 100 flags in the exhibit are
complemented by historical hand-sewn American quilts from the collection of Louise
Veninga, co-founder of Good Earth Teas; and a variety of Stars and Stripes memorabilia
from the acclaimed collection of San Francisco graphic designer Kit Hinrichs.
"There is no museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to flags, and none with
this range and quality," according to Dr. Whitney Smith, the world flag expert of
Winchester, Massachusetts. "By presenting the history of America as seen through its
original flags, our goal is to encourage visitors to examine and discuss why this 18th
century symbol remains so relevant into the 21st century."
There are nearly three dozen star designs of the U.S. flag on exhibit.
Incorporating a diverse variety of designs, fabrics, and symbol variations, the flags
paint a picture of America from the revolution period through the recent conflict in
Afghanistan. Examples include one of the nation's very earliest 13-Stars and 13-
Stripes circa 1800; a priceless 21-star "Great Luminary" dating from 1819; an array of
flags used by Union forces during the Civil War; and a gallery of original U.S. flags representative
of American military power throughout the 20th century, including the first
American flag to drop anchor in Japanese waters during WWII and the English White
Ensign from the lead ship of D-Day. There is also a perfect example of a 33-star
American flag, representing one of California's earliest flags; and a 48-star U.S. flag
handcrafted from bed sheets by a Belgium family and displayed during their liberation
by WWII troops. There are many more.
"This exhibit marks only the third time in U.S. history that the American flag has
been exhibited using original flags to tell the story of our country's history," Zaricor
said. "We hope this exhibit will generate interest among the people of America to support
a foundation for the establishment of a permanent Flag Center in San Francisco at
the Presidio. The Center would showcase and interpret the many significant flags that
exist in private collections for the education of our children and others interested in the
relevance to our everyday life."
The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict is sponsored by
Good Earth Teas, Pentagram and The Presidio Trust. The exhibit will be on view
through Thursday, July 31, 2003 at The Presidio Officers' Club, 50 Moraga Avenue
(Arquello Gate), in the Presidio, San Francisco. Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m. - 5:00
p.m. Thursday - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday (Closed Monday &
Tuesday except Memorial Day).
Admission to the exhibit is FREE. Visitor information is available at 415-561-5500 or www.atthepresidio.org
