U.S. 36 Star Flag - Nevada, 1865.

U.S. 36 Star Flag Nevada Admission to the Union, 1865.
The cotton field 36-star flag is imprinted with 13, alternating, horizontal red and white stripes, commencing and ending with red. Also imprinted into the upper, hoist corner, extending through the top seven stripes, is a dark blue printed canton. The canton bears 36 white, five-pointed stars, set in six horizontal rows of six stars each, printed on each side. Small printed parade flags like this printed cotton gauze example were extremely popular during the American Civil War. Usually waved at parades, rallies and sanitary fairs, they were widely used by civilians to demonstrate support for the war effort.

The 36-star US flags became official on 4 July 1865; however, entrepreneurs made them available as soon as statehood for Nevada loomed on the national horizon in 1863. Flags with 36 stars like this example were widely available in April of 1865 to celebrate Lee's surrender at Appomattox and again later to mourn the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln - two of the most significant events in United States history.

The 6 x 6 rectilinear star pattern was by far and away the most popular star field for use on the 36-star flag, which would remain current until the admission of Nebraska in 1867.

This flag was discovered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the 1970s by noted flag collector Nicholas Artimovich. He was contacted by another collector, Mr. Robert Banks, from Brookeville Maryland, who helped Judge Ball add it to his courtroom collection and traded for this flag from Nick Artimovich, after which Mr. Banks conveyed the flag to Judge Ball.

Exhibition History

Courtroom of Judge John T. Ball, Judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, San Jose, CA

Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 2002 from the Judge John T. Ball Collection of San Jose, CA.

ZFC Noteworthy Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

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36 Star Flag - (1865-1867) (U.S.), Flags of the World, 23 April 2012, from: http://flagspot.net/flags/us-1865.html

The Many Constellations of Old Glory, Historical Flags of Our Ancestors!, 23 April 2012, from: http://www.loeser.us/flags/us_flags.html

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	32
Length of Fly	42

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	34
Frame Length	44

Stars
Number of Stars	36
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

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.

Condition
Displayable	no