U.S. 49 Star Flag, First to Fly Over Fort McHenry.

49 Star U.S. Flag, First to Officially Fly in Ft. McHenry, MD 1959.
This small, cotton Stars and Stripes flag of only 34" x 57" was one of the first official United States 49-star flag ever raised. The flag was first raised at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Independence Day, 1959, to celebrate Alaska's admission to the Union. U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Fred A. Seaton, who served as President Eisenhower's special representative at the ceremony, hoisted the flag.

The Unites States is one of the few countries that symbolically represent its internal political sub-divisions on its flag. Correspondingly, the raising of a new star design to herald the admission of a new state has been observed since the beginning of the republic.

On this particular 49 star flag the stripes were sewn but the blue canton (the star-field) is printed, leaving space for the seven staggered rows of seven stars on the white background material. This pattern was a radical departure from the rigid six rows of eight stars that had served the nation since 1912.

The committee in charge of the ceremonies later presented the inaugural 49 star flag to lifelong Baltimore residents, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pentz. Mr. Pentz, a Baltimore native, was a lawyer as well as a professor of poetry and grammar at Baltimore City College. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Pentz donated the flag to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum.

Exhibition History:
First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0072)
49-star United States Flag, the first to fly over fort McHenry

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - Gallery VI
(ZFC0072)
49-Star United States Flag, First to Fly Over Fort McHenry

Publication History:
Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 132.

Provenance:
• Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Committee for the First Official Raising of the 49 Star Flag of the United States at Fort McHenry National Monumant and Historic Shrine, 1959.
• Acquired by Committee member Joseph P. Crone, Verona, NJ, 1959.
• Gifted to Mr. & Mrs. John A. Pentz, Baltimore, MD, 1959.
• Gifted to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum, until 1996.
• Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. in 1996.


ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

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Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine,9 October 2011, from:
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

Rasmussen, Frederick N. July 26, 2002, John Angelo Pentz, 99, taught poetry, grammar at City College, The Baltimore Sun, 6 October 2011, from:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2002-07-26/news/0207260085_1_pentz-hammerman-city-college

Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, 6 October 2011, from: http://www.flaghouse.org/index.php/flag/index_new/

Rasmussen, Frederick N., July 2, 2010, A half-century ago, new 50-star American flag debuted in Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun, 6 October 2011, from:
http://starspangled200.org/News/Documents/070210_Baltimore%20Sun_FOMC.pdf

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, "Design of the 49 & 50 Satr Flags", 2 October 2012, from: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/flag.html

United States. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1959, First Raising of the 49 star Flag July 4, 1959, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland, courtesy of the Evelyn Hill Corporation.

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Top100

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	34
Length of Fly	57.5

Union/Canton
Width of Union/Canton	22.5
Length of Union/Canton	18.5

Stars
Size of Stars	1.75

Stripes
Width of 1st Stripe	2.5
Width of 3rd Stripe	2.5
Width of 8th Stripe	2.75
Width of Last Stripe	2.5
Size of Hoist	1.5

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	40
Frame Length	64

Stars
Number of Stars	49
How are the stars embeded?	Printed
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes

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

Stitching
Stitching	Machine

Thread
Thread Material	Cotton

Weave
Type of Weave	Plain

Attachment
Method of Attachment	Grommets

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.1 Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.2 Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.3 Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.4
Research Documents	Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.3 Ft.McHenry Program, 1959, p.4
Public Copy & Signs

Condition
Condition	Good
Damage	White discolored to yellow.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1959

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

Exhibition History First Presidio Exhibit (ZFC0072) 49-STAR UNITED STATES FLAG, THE FIRST TO FLY OVER FORT McHENRY Date: 1959 Medium: Cotton; machine sewn Comment: With Alaskas admission into the Union on January 3rd, 1959 as the forty-ninth state, it became necessary to change the star pattern in the United States flag for the first time in forty-seven years. President Dwight D. Eisenhower chose (from among the designs suggested) a pattern of seven staggered rows of seven stars each. The forty-nine star flag became official on July 4th, 1959; however, it would be so for only a year, for on August 21st, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth state, its star becoming official in the flag on July 4th, 1960. As the custom then or now to officially fly the new flag of the new state joining the union from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD. This particular flag was the first forty-nine star flag to be raised over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on July 4th, 1959 at 12:05 AM by the officials of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House of Baltimore, MD. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0072) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - GALLERY VI (ZFC0072) 49-Star United States Flag, First to Fly Over Fort McHenry Date: 1959 49 Stars: July 4, 1959-July 3, 1960 (Alaska statehood January 3, 1959) Medium: Cotton; machine-sewn Comment: In 1959, for the first time in 47 years, the United States flag was altered. With the admission of Alaska into the Union on January 3 that year as the forty-ninth state, it became necessary to change the existing star pattern in the canton. President Dwight D. Eisenhower chose (from among the many designs suggested) a pattern of seven staggered rows of seven stars each. The 49-star flag became official on July 4th, 1959, but was soon overtaken by events. It was to serve officially as the nations banner for only a year because on August 21, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth state. Although its star would not become official as part of the flag until July 4th, 1960, sales of the 49-star flag plummeted once Hawaiian statehood became a certainty. To honor the new state as its flag became official, a special ceremony was held at 12:05 AM on July 4th 1959 at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. This particular flag was the first 49-star flag to be raised over that fort in Baltimore Harbor on that special day by the officials of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House of Baltimore. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0072) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD.

Publications

Publication Copy

Publication History: Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 132. 49-Star United States Flag First to Fly Over Fort McHenry In 1959, for the first time in 47 years, the United States flag was altered. With the admission of Alaska into the Union on January 3 of that year as the forty-ninth state, it became necessary to change the existing star pattern in the canton. President Dwight D. Eisenhower chosefrom among the many designs suggesteda pattern of seven staggered rows of seven stars each. The 49-star flag became official on July 4th, 1959, but was soon overtaken by events. It was to serve officially as the nations banner for only a year because on August 21, 1959, Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth state. Although its star would not become official as part of the flag until July 4th, 1960, sales of the 49-star flag plummeted once Hawaiian statehood became a certainty. To honor Alaska as its flag became official, a special ceremony was held at 12:05 AM on July 4th 1959 at Fort McHenry by the officials of the Star- Spangled Banner Flag House of Baltimore, MD. This particular flag was the first 49-star flag to be raised over that fort in Baltimore Harbor, and thus the first to fly officially in the country on that special day. Date: 1959 Size: 34" hoist x 57.5" fly 49 Stars: July 4, 1959 July 3, 1960 (Alaska statehood January 3, 1959) Medium: Cotton; machine-sewn Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. ZFC0072