U.S. 43 Star Flag - Idaho's Statehood.
The 43-star flag officially heralded the multiple admissions to statehood from the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain area on July 4, 1890, the day after Idaho joined the Union. Although that flag was official for the entire next year, another new state quickly inhibited the manufacture of 43-star flags: only a week after Idaho's admission, Wyoming became the 44th state.

While a star for Wyoming would not become official in the canton of the United States flag for another year, both flag makers and the general populace knew that the 43-star flag would be obsolete shortly. Manufacturers quickly discontinued producing a flag that the public was not prepared to buy. As a result, the 43-star flag is today one of the rarer versions of the Stars & Stripes to be commercially made. This short-lived flag saw service briefly under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison.

Taken from: Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p.105

The cotton field of this important flag is composed of thirteen horizontal alternating red and white stripes, commencing and ending with red. A sky-blue cotton canton has been inserted into the field in the upper, hoist corner, extending through the seventh stripe from the top. Forty-three white cotton, 5-pointed stars are appliqued to each side of the canton, set in five horizontal rows: 9-8-9-8-9. A sky-blue cotton heading parallels the hoist edge, for either a staff or for a cord by which the flag might be attached to its staff. Date: 1890-1891.


Superior Court Judge John T. Ball, of Santa Clara County, California, acquired this flag.

Exhibition History:
First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0596)
43-Star United States Flag

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - GALLERY VI
(ZFC0596)
43-Star United States Flag

Publication History:
Crump, Anne, David Studarus, photographer, "A Grand Old Obsession." American Spirit: Daughters of the American revolution Magazine: July/August 2003: P.20.

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 104.

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