34 Star U.S. Flag, made in China for abolitionist Arthur Bullus Bradford, 1st U.S. Consul to Amoy, China.
Likely one of the first U.S. flags made in China. It belonged to Arthur Bullus Bradford (1810-1899), who was President Abraham Lincoln's Consul to Amoy, China in 1861. This was a flag he had made and used during his tenure in Amoy, China.

Note that the canton has been turned 90 degrees to be vertical instead of horizontal which was the correct way to orient the canton. Likely the Chinese maker was using a sketch or written description and he made the mistake of having the star pattern run in vertical rows.

Bradford was an abolitionist from an early age, Arthur Bradford and his wife Elizabeth (Wicks) settled in Darlington where he became preacher at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church. He advocated abolition in his sermons and spoke on the subject across the Mid Atlantic region.
Bradford wrote articles on abolition for various newspapers, including William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator. His Darlington home, Buttonwood, was an Underground Railroad station, and the Bradford daughters spent much time making clothes to disguise fugitive slaves that passed through their home. Buttonwood was an integral link on the route from New Brighton/Beaver to Enon Valley in Lawrence County, and then into Ohio. The conductors on this Underground Railroad route were mostly local, freed slaves. Fugitives probably hid either in outbuildings or possibly in a nearby coal mine. Some stayed on at the farm and worked for several weeks until moving to the next station.
Because of his outspoken abolitionist activities along the Pennsylvania Maryland state line, the Mason-Dixon Line, numerous threats were made on his life. Fearing for his safety his wife implored Lincoln to give him a diplomatic appointment. He stayed in China for eight months, but left because of poor health and returned to the US.

Exhibition History:

Private Showing
11 November 2008
Tiger 21 Meeting, Muir Room
Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco, CA

Private Showing
Night of Flags In celebration of George Washington's Birthday
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in California
Patriotic Services Committee

Private Showing
8 June 2010
Tiger 21 Meeting,
Omni Hotel, San Francisco, CA

University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Provenance:
• Acquired by Arthur Bullus Bradford in China during service as U.S. Consul, 1861.
• By descent in the Bradford family to Great great grand daughter Ms. Donna McCarthy Luster until 2007.
• Sold via Jerry Wishart Auctions, Warren, Ohio, to Zaricor Flag Collection, 2007.



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