U.S. 32-Star to 34-Star Flag Conversion - "Melville".
The construction details of this flag, which is inscribed, "Melville, 60 E. 26th St.", indicate that it began with a 32-star canton that represented Minnesota's admission to the Union. While 32-star flags were official for a year but 32-star flags of any type are very scarce.

Because they became obsolete after only one year, many 32-star flags likely remained unsold in manufacturer's inventories. Then, with the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, demand for 34-star flags rapidly surpassed the supply. The prudent manufacturer of this printed 32-star flag cut out several stars from other flags of the same style, then hand-stitched two of them between the rows to create a new 34-star flag.

Several other examples of printed 32-star flags modified into 34-stars currently survive. Although there is a lack of evidence, there is reason to believe that these printed U.S. flags may have their origins from Annin & Company of New York City; a firm founded in 1847 and that is still in existence now. Made during the presidency of James Buchanan, this flag was in service during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

Provenance: Acquired in 2008 at an Internet auction.

Sources:


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

Mastai, Boleslaw and Marie-Louise D'Otrange, The Stars and The Stripes: The American Flag as Art and as History from the Birth of the republic to the Present, Knopf, New York, 1973.

32 Star Flag - (1858-1859) (U.S.), Flags of the World, 20 May 2012, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-1858.html

34 Star Flag - (1861-1863) (U.S.), Flags of the World, 20 May 2012, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-1861.html

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection