Presidential Flag of President Roosevelt, 1935.

U.S. Presidential Office Flag of President Roosevelt early 1930s to 1945 with 1916 Design.
This is a model 1916 US Presidential Flag. It was created when President Woodrow Wilson signed an Executive Order 2390 on May 29 1916, which established the modern presidential flag. This came after a succession of different designs, which both the US Navy and US Army had promulgated and used as their own versions. Now, for the first time, the President as Commander-in-Chief had a single design. It would be used until 1945.

It was handloom embroidered with silk yarns, at the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, in the 1930's and bears their tag in the pole hem sleeve; which dates from the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt would have used this in the White House, either in the Oval Office or in the Cabinet room. Silken colors like this one would also have been used to indicate his presence as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States at official American naval and military ceremonies. FDR is also known to have used smaller bunting flags of the same design (see ZFC2581) when he traveled to Hyde Park, NY or Warm Springs, GA.

The exact use to which this specific flag would have been put is unknown. It was acquired at auction with only oral provenance placing it in Washington DC during the Roosevelt administration. Whatever its use, the flag is an exquisite tribute to the artistry and skill of the embroiderers. Each of these flags is hand-made and the fringe is hand knotted out of silver and gold bullion wire.

In 1945, this pattern was eventually altered. The eagle was made to face the olive branches, which symbolize the power of peace. The four corner stars were dropped and a single ring of 48 stars was substituted. This remains the basic for the US Presidential flag.

Exhibition History:

University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Provenance:

• Made by Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, 1930s.
• Used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933 - 1945.
• Sold via Cowan's Auctions, Cincinnati, Ohio, to Zaricor Flag Collection, 2005.
Deaccessed Heritage Auctions - 13 November 2023 - Auction 6276



Sources:

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United States Navy Department, Flags of Maritime Nations, Washington
Government Printing Office, 1899.

United States Navy Department, Flags of Maritime Nations, Washington
Government Printing Office, 1914.

United States Navy Department, Flags of Maritime Nations, Washington
Government Printing Office, 1939.

History of the President's Flag, Sea Flags, 31 October 2011, from: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeohzt4/Seaflags/personal/potus.html

President (U.S.), Flags of the World, 31 October 2011, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-pres.html

Flag of the President of the United States, Wikipedia, 31 October 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_President_of_the_United_States

Image Credits
Zaricor Flag Collection

xyz
Top100

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	52
Length of Fly	66

Stars
Size of Stars	6

Stripes
Size of Hoist	2.5

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Comments on Frame	Small Corp burnished Aluminum frame

Stars
Number of Stars	4
How are the stars embeded?	Embroidered
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes
Comments on Stars	embroidered

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Crest/Emblem
Description of Crest/Emblem	Arms of the U.S. President

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Silk

Stitching
Stitching	Combination
Comments on Stitching	Hand & Machine stitching

Thread
Type of Thread	Needs Analysis
Thread Material	Needs Analysis

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Sleeve with leather tabs and a government tag inside of the .
Method of Attachment	Sleeve

Applica
Applique Sides	Double Faced = Reads correctly on both sides

Documentation

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Damage	Flag is used, worn, soiled with some minor fracturing.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1936

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

Exhibition History - Private Showing Night of Flags In celebration of George Washington's Birthday The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in California Patriotic Services Committee Presents James Ferrigan, Curator, Flag Center Ben Zaricor, Director, Flag Center Thursday, February 26, 2009 Octagon House, San Francisco 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm This was a power point slide presentation on the period 13 star flag and Presidential flags in the Flag Center/Zaricor Flag Collection and comments by Ben Zaricor wherein the image of this flag was displayed. University of California - Santa Cruz Board of Councilors Meeting, 7 June 2012 Rare Flags Exhibit Santa Cruz, CA, June 7, 2012: The Zaricor Flag Collection exhibited 34 flags and artifacts at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus for the Board of Councilors Meeting. U.S. Presidential Color, President Franklin D. Roosevelt Date: circa 1936 Media: Hand embroidered silk, with silver and gold bullion twisted wire fringe. Comment: This gold and silver fringed model 1916 US Presidential Flag was used in the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose use was longer than any other president, and is often associated with his administrations. The design was created when President Woodrow Wilson signed Executive Order 2390 on 29 May 1916, that established the first exclusive presidential flag. This pattern came after a succession of different designs, which both the US Navy and US Army had promulgated and used for their own purposes. The President as Commander-in-Chief now had a single design. In 1945 this pattern was altered, when it was redesigned to give the president more stars at a time when some admirals and generals flags had more stars than the President's. The eagle was made to face the olive branches, which symbolize the power of peace. The four corner stars were dropped and a single ring of stars that changed with the admission of more states. This remains the design for the modern US Presidential flag we see today. This flag was handloom embroidered, with silk yarns, by skilled embroideresses, at the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, the nation's official supplier of Presidential colors and flags. Silken colors like this one would also have been used to indicate the President's office as both the Chief Executive and the Commander-in-Chief of the United States. Provenance: Acquired at auction by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC2502) in 2006 from the Cowan's Auctions, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. www.FlagCollection.com