49 Star U.S. Flag, WWII - Fort McHenry 1959
This small 4" X 6" rayon 49 star U.S. stick flag became official on 4 July 1959; the day the first official hoisting of the 49 star flag was done with great ceremony at Ft. McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore (see ZFC0072). This location is inexorably linked to the history of the U.S. flag as a result of its successful defense in the face of a British attack during the War of 1812. This event inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" which would later be set to music and become "The Star Spangled Banner" - the U.S. national anthem.
This flag is mounted on a 10" ebonized black staff - small flags like this are generally intended for either waving at parades or ceremonies, table-top display or as souvenirs. These flags were mass produced with no distinguishing features. What sets this flag apart is how it was used. On 4 July 1959, the day it became the official flag of the United States, it was hoisted on the flagpole at Ft. McHenry at the request of Baltimore resident Mr. L. Edward Elliott.
L. Edward Elliott was a flag collector who acquired and then flew national and state flags over or at appropriate locations throughout the United States; traveling with his wife he generally documented his trips photographically, recording the routes on maps. In the course of his travels he visited all 50 states and all of the geographic extremes of the U.S. An image of Mr. & Mrs. Elliott and a portion of their collection appears in the photo gallery.
He donated this flag to Baltimore's Star Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum in 1960. He also donated ZFC0087; ZFC0083 and ZFC0085 the SSBFH.
Exhibition History:
Flown at Ft. McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, 4 July 1960.
Provenance:
* Mr. L. Edward Elliott, 1959.
* Gifted to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Museum of Baltimore, MD, 1960.
* Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD., 1996.
Sources:
Fort McHenry, National Monument and Historic Shrine Maryland, National Park Service, 19 June 2013, from: http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
John McInnis Auctioneers
