U.S. 13 Star Boat Flag - "The Old Flag of the War"

13 Star U.S. Flag #12 Navy Boat Flag, "The Old Flag of the War 1861-1865".
Within the allowances for loose tolerances and shrinkage, this thirteen-star, United States flag conforms to the dimensions specified from 1863 through 1882 for the No. 12 (7 feet fly dimension) boat flag. The attached panel indicates that it saw Civil War service, though a ship's name has not been recorded. The heading has a pair of brass grommets. Although brass grommets began to be popular substitutes for hand-sewn buttonhole eyelets among commercial flag manufacturers of the 1860s, they were not used with U.S. Navy boat flags until the 1890s. Hence, it is thought that this flag was furnished to the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War by a contracted flag maker.

Exhibition History:

First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0632)
Thirteen-Star, United States Navy Boat Flag, No. 12

Second Presidio Exhibit Gallery One Copy 2003
ZFC0632
13-Star United States Navy Boat Flag No.12

Publication History:
Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 22.

Provenance:
• 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.


ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

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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.

Preble, George Henry, The History of the Flag of the United States of America, Boston, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 1894.

US Navy "Boat" Flag , Dave Martucci's Flag Pages, 10 October 2011, from: http://www.vexman.net/smalboat.htm

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection.

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	46.25
Length of Fly	84

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	55
Frame Length	92

Stars
Number of Stars	13
How are the stars embeded?	Sewn
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Number of Stripes	13
Color of Top Stripe	Red
Color of Bottom Stripe	Red
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Wool
Comments on Fabric	Bunting

Attachment
Method of Attachment	Grommets

Applica
Applique Sides	Double Sided = Two sides different

Documentation
Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Research Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Public Copy & Signs

Condition
Condition	Good
Damage	Used
Displayable	no

Date
Date	1861-1865

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0632) Thirteen-Star, United States Navy Boat Flag, No. 12 Date: About 1863-1865 Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand sewn, canvas heading with brass grommets Comment: Within the allowances for loose tolerances and shrinkage, this thirteen-star, United States flag conforms to the dimensions specified from 1863 through 1882 for the No. 12 (7 feet fly dimension) boat flag. The attached panel indicates that it saw Civil War service, though a ship's name has not been recorded. The heading has a pair of brass grommets. Although brass grommets began to be popular substitutes for hand-sewn buttonhole eyelets among commercial flag manufacturers of the 1860s, they were not used with U.S. Navy boat flags until the 1890s. Hence, it is thought that this flag was furnished to the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War by a contracted flag maker. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0632) in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection of New York City through auction at Sothebys. Second Presidio Exhibit Gallery One Copy 2003 ZFC0632 13-Star United States Navy Boat Flag No.12 Date: About 18631865 Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars, hand-sewn, canvas heading with brass grommets Comment: With allowance for loose tolerances and shrinkage, this 13-star United States flag conforms to the dimensions specified from 1863 through 1882 for the No. 12, 7-foot fly dimension, boat flag. The panel later attached to the flag indicates that it saw Civil War service, though a ship's name has not been recorded. The heading bears a pair of brass grommets. Although such grommets began to be popular substitutes for hand-sewn buttonhole eyelets among commercial flag manufacturers in the 1860s, they were not utilized with U.S. Navy boat flags until the 1890s. Hence, it is believed that this flag was furnished to the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War by a contracted flag-maker. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0632) in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection through auction at Sotheby's of New York City.

Publications
Publication Copy	Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 22. 13-Star United States Navy Boat Flag, Size No. 12 With allowance for loose tolerances and shrinkage, this 13-star United States flag conforms to the dimensions specified from 1863 through 1882 for the No. 12 size, 7-foot fly dimension, boat flag. The panel later attached to the flag indicates that it saw Civil War service, although it has not been recorded on what ship. The heading bears a pair of brass grommets. Although such grommets began to be popular substitutes to supplant hand-sewn buttonhole eyelets among commercial flag manufacturers in the 1860s, they were not employed on U.S. Navy boat flags until the 1890s. Hence, it is believed that this flag was furnished to the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War by a contracted flag-maker. Date: About 1863 1865 Size: 46.5" hoist x 84" fly Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand-sewn, canvas heading with brass grommets Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection through auction at Sotheby's of New York City. ZFC063 Druckman, Nancy, Jeffery Kohn, The American Flag: Designs for a Young Nation, New York, Abrams, 2003.P.55.
Flag Books	The Stars and The Stripes - Mastai