The Zaricor Flag collection: Two Centuries of Concord & Conflict

The Zaricor Flag Collection is unique for the large number of original 13 star flags in the collection and more as it contains six different patterns in one collection of eight. This representation gives us an idea of what was in the public's mind when the country declared it's democratic principals being the first secular nation state not based on religion or a monarchy. These diverse patterns of eight suggest that likely many more star patterns existed, which we see, in later star counts. It was the norm not the exception that it reflected a country again of diverse ideas that drove us toward a republic where the individual was paramount and those principals reflected in the Constitution were not only to be protected and preserved but to be the driving force of a dynamic evolving country, where the vastness of the continent before that early generation of revolutionary Americans ensured that there was ample opportunity for all.

This particular expression reflected through different star patterns in the national flag and continued for the next 140 years until the federal government standardized the star patterns of the national flag for the official business of the country but the individual’s Right of Expression continued to be paramount. We are able to design our flag as we each wish as long as it meets the criteria of the First Flag Act of 1777. It must have stripes and stars and contain red, white and blue in no particular order. The flag still speaks to us today that we are a nation of individuals where our expression as individuals is protected from the tyranny of the majority.

One other notable aspect about the ZFC containing the largest selection of original thirteen star flags is how they became part of this collection. I call it fortuitous but logical and probably never to happen again. First the number of early American National flags is rare and infrequent to discover because there were so few made due to the lack of demand and that the size of government was extremely small until the American Civil War. Second, the period of the early flags with star counts of 13 to 29 (1777 - 1847) was for the most part prior to the US Industrial Revolution (1830's to WWII) which did not get into high gear until the 1840's; the cotton gin was perfected in the 1830's before it was widespread; the sewing machine was introduced in 1849; and block printing in the 1840's, all of these directly affected flag making. Prior and still past this period flag making was and remained a cottage industry with minimal industrial organization. True the UK and much of Europe experienced it mush sooner but the affect on America was interrupted with revolution both here and there. The Napoleonic War, the War of 1812 and our export development took time to accumulate and attract enough capital to role out the industrial revolution, which had it's first national effect with the development of the Erie Canal and railroads, which to a limited extent they were still in their infancy until 1840's.

Given the fact that flag demand was low, the early flags that did survive are few in number. Identification has been difficult because of a misunderstanding within the conservation trade that cotton was not available in flag making until 1800. The belief was that cotton was not available in the form of thread and cotton sheeting, this has been proven incorrect with the discovery of several factories that were producing cotton goods that were not well known within the conservation trade. In addition, this realization, the low demand and other fabric alternatives such as silk and linen contributed to the low demand for cotton in flag making. Some conservationist even believed cotton itself was not available until 1800, all one has to do is look for it as it was used from slave clothing to fine dresses, coverlets, and other household goods. It is just that cotton demand for flag making started slow and first documented use was early as the mid to late revolution period. Cotton is more durable than most fabrics of the period increasing it's chance to survive. It was rare to find an all cotton flag in the early period due to the characteristics for flag usage is not preferred, it's weight and ability to hold water making it undesirable for outdoor use. Furthermore, in the early period cotton was considered expensive, as the cotton gin was still some time away. For thread, stars and hoist it was desirable and readily available domestically or imported and if embargo then by black-market could fulfill demand.

The ZFC is not one collection, it is made up of many different collections and the 13s are just one example of 40 years of collecting. The eight original 13 star flags in the ZFC were acquired from five museums, historical societies, and prominent collectors/dealers of early American relics. These five contacts together span a total of 465 years of collecting. The 13 star flags were collected or acquired early in their repository before collecting flags grew in popularity in 2001. It is believed by several experts that most if not all the major undiscovered collections have been culled through. I do not share that view it is one I believe has a point and it is only in my generation that it has been possible to travel all the US and overseas by jet, and have the ability to make a call, send a fax and now personal computers and e mails, place bids at auctions in seconds while one is doing something else completely different at the same time. most importantly, immediate and convenient access to a full library of knowledge almost instantly allow collections such as this to be created. It is the knowledge that is now available that was not in the past that made it possible to rediscover lost flags such as these thirteens.

ZFC3400. Exceptionally rare Union Jack flown on HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar. A rare and finely preserved Union Jack flag which was flown from the jackstaff of HMS Spartiate at the battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October, 1805. It is the last documented flag to survive from that iconic battle.

The flag was originally in the possession of Capt. James Clephan R.N. (1768-1851) who subsequently passed it down to his descendants whence it came into possession of the Zaricor Flag Collection in 2009. See ZFC2575 for companion piece captured in War of 1812. Read More

ZFC2575. 17 Star, 17 Stripe U.S. Ensign, Privateer Blockade, War of 1812 captured by Captain James Clephan, HMS Charybdis. This flag is significant for its rarity and symbolic importance. There are no other 17-stars with 17-stripes known U.S. flags to survive. Read More

ZFC3754. This hand-painted, blue silk color is under review and its history is currently being researched. It was identified at auction as an 1830s New York State Militia (NYSM) flag; however it bears none of the traditional attributes of existing NYSM flags, bringing that credit into doubt. Instead it is thought to be an early militia regimental color created for an unidentified unit sometime during the 1812 to 1830s period. Read More

ZFC3536/ZFC3543/ZFC3535. The name Decatur is one of the most revered names in American naval history. Commodore Stephen Decatur (1814-1876) was a 19th century American naval officer whose career spanned the years 1829 to 1876. Decatur was born in 1814 in Newark, New Jersey. He was appointed a midshipman in 1829. Prior to 1845, the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy midshipman in the U.S. Navy was dependant on the officers of the ships or shore establishments to which they were assigned for instruction in the naval sciences. Read More

ZFC3536

ZFC3543

ZFC3535

ZFC2588. This 28-star ensign, made to commemorate the admission of Texas is from the most famous ship in the United States Navy, the USS Constitution. These U.S. ensigns with these particular star counts were official between 1846 and 1851. Read More

30 Star No.1 Ensign (ZFC2588) flying on the stern.

ZFC3763. In the history of the United States Navy, no ship has as much tradition, lore and heritage as the USS Constitution. She was commissioned on 21 October 1797 and is often referred to by her nickname "Old Ironsides". Virgin American Oak was used in her construction and to strengthen the keel, additional "ribs" were spaced closer together which resulted in enemy cannon balls bouncing off the sides, hence the nickname: "Old Ironsides." Read More

ZFC2591. This large wool flag is the 1863 - 1865 jack of the Confederate States Navy (C.S.N.). According to the Table of Allowances for C.S.N. a jack with a hoist of 8" would have been styled as a No. 3 Jack, the third largest of the eight jacks specified for the C.S.N.

This jack is inscribed "Capt. Parker". A review of the roll of the commissioned officers of the C.S.N. reveals only three officers with the surname Parker. One, J.H. Parker was a 2nd Assistant Engineer, ranking equivalent to a master (on modern terms an ensign, the lowest grade of commissioned officer); another C.M. Parker was a Passed Assistant Surgeon, ranking equivalent to a lieutenant, leaving only First Lieutenant W.H. Parker as a serving as a line officer. Read More

Second National Ensign of the CSS Alabama, 1864