45-star U.S. Flag - Spanish-American war era flag.
his 45 star wool flag, which was current from 1896 to 1908, was formerly part of the Decatur-Armsden Collection; a family collection that included artifacts and flags from the Lear-Storer Decatur family which included many significant individuals from the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries

This flag was part of a of historical cache of flags descended from various branches of the Lear-Storer-Decatur family which included items from Sir William Pepperrell Baronet and John Storer (who were both part of the 1745 expedition to Nova Scotia capture Ft. Louisburg), Colonel Tobias Lear (General Washington's Aide de Camp and personal friend), Benjamin Lincoln Lear (son of Tobias Lear), Commodore Stephen Decatur (nephew of his famous namesake Commodore Stephen Decatur, 1779-1820), Rear Admiral George Washington Storer (nephew of Tobias Lear, 1789-1864), Ichabod Goodwin ( Governor of New Hampshire), and Admiral of the Navy George Dewey.

The accumulation was "rediscovered" in the mid 20th Century when the family as a whole decided to sell a barn at Kittery Point, Maine. The barn had served as a repository for a vast amount of historical material that has been passed down through the generations. When inventoried, the barn was found to contain a significant archive of papers, memorabilia, photographs, books, and artifacts including twenty historic flags. The trove was divided amongst the three branches of the family.

The share which had gone to Mrs. Alice Armsden (née Decatur) contained the flags and was kept intact until her and her spouse's estates were settled in 2009. In these estates were flags from some of America's most illustrious naval families - Decatur, Storer and Dewey. The flag grouping consisted of Boat Flags, Ensigns, Signal Flags, Burgees, Rank Flags, Distinguishing Flags, Service Flags and a Yacht Ensign. Among the US flags and ensigns were the following star counts; 13 stars (4), 16 stars, 26 stars, 34 stars (3), 35 stars, 45 stars (2) and 48 stars.

Dating from the early 18th to the early 20th century, the flags were acquired from the male naval officers of the family and preserved by the women of the families, notably Anna Rowell Philbrick Decatur (1821-1906) and Mable Storer, the respective wives of Stephen Decatur, and Rear Admiral Storer. Both women carefully preserved and conserved these flags, and act for which the flags' posterity is forever indebted.

The exact history of this flag is unknown but its preservation in such an esteemed nautical collection would allow for the assumption of naval usage by some members of the family.


Provenance: Acquired at auction, 2-Day Winter Antiques & Fine Art Auction, 4-5 February 2010, James D. Julia, Fairfield, ME.

ZFC Significant Flag

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