45 Star U.S. Flag or Ensign, Charles Fish.
From a lot of seven late 19th Century Spanish-American war era flags, along with three bunting flags. This flag descended through the Decatur family and was possibly used by Admiral Dewey. Admiral Dewey was related to the Decatur-Lyre-Goodwin family by marriage. His illustrious naval career began during the Civil War and commenced through the Spanish-American War up until just prior to WWI. He was the only person in the history of the United States to attain the rank of Admiral of the navy, the most senior rank in the United States navy; and he is referred to as the 'Hero of Manila'.
This Spanish-American era, 45-star flag has wool bunting with alternating rows of eight and seven stars. The canvas hoist is stencilled with the original size of the flag (6 x 10) and also ink inscribes the name 'Charles H. Fish'. This was the official flag in the Spanish-American war and commemorated the state of Utah entering the Union in 1896. The flag was official and in use until 1908. It is not known how Charles H. Fish related to the family or what this designation implies. It measures 68 x 108 and, while this flag has definitely seen use, it is still in an acceptable condition. The colors are faded; the blues and reds are no longer vibrant, and are muted. There are some losses, a couple of which are approx. 5 x 5.
ZFC Significant Flag
Sources:
45 Star Flag - (1896-1908) (U.S.), Flags of the world, 14 November 2011, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-1896.html
2-Day Winter Antiques & Fine Art Auction, Artfact, 10 October 2011, from: http://www.artfact.com/auction-catalog/2-day-winter-antiques-fine-art-auction,-day-2-kbmiwmy646
Smith, David, A Million-Dollar Map At Julia's Americana, Antiques and the Arts Online, 10 October 2011, from:
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/AuctionWatch/2010-03-02__14-22-30.html
Parsons, William Decatur, The Decatur Genealogy, New York 1921, with additions by &Stephen Decatur, Marblehead, MA, 2003.
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection