Exhibits


Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Exhibition Copy First Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0617)
36-STAR GRAND LUMINARY UNITED STATES MOURNING FLAG
Date: 1865
Media: Silk with painted stars; all hand sewn
Comment: Although its popularity had waned during the Civil War, the grand luminary arrangement of the stars to form one great star still held some degree of favor at the end of the Civil War. In this small silk flag, the stars are formed into a large star centered around a star that is slightly larger than the stars composing the points of the great star. All were applied to the light blue silk canton with white paint. A black silk crepe border was added to this flag during the period of official mourning for the death of President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated on the evening of April 14th, 1865 and who died the next morning. Flags were draped in black crepe, which in Victorian parlance also meant bordering all or some of the edges of a flag.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0617) in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection of New York City through auction at Sothebys.


Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 - GALLERY V
(ZFC0617)
36-Star Grand Luminary United States Mourning Flag
Date: 1865 36 Stars: July 4, 1865-July 3, 1867 (Nevada statehood October 31,1864)
Media: Silk; hand-sewn with painted stars
Comment: Although its popularity had waned during the Civil War, the Grand Luminary arrangement of the stars to form one great star still found some degree of favor at the end of that conflict. In this small silk flag, 35 stars are formed into one large one centered on a slightly larger star. All were applied to the light blue silk canton with white paint. A black silk crepe border was added to this flag during the period of official mourning for the death of President Abraham Lincoln. He was assassinated on the evening of April 14, 1865, and died the next morning. Flags across the country were draped in black crepe; which in Victorian-era parlance meant there were borders of black on some or all the edges. Some flags with inked black borders also survive.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0617) in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection through auction at Sothebys of New York City.


Chicago Meeting December, 2003
(ZFC0617)
36-Star Grand Luminary United States Mourning Flag
Date: 1865 36 Stars: July 4, 1865-July 3, 1867 (Nevada statehood October 31,1864)
Media: Silk; hand-sewn with painted stars
Comment: Although its popularity had waned during the Civil War, the Grand Luminary arrangement of the stars to form one great star still found some degree of favor at the end of that conflict. In this small silk flag, 35 stars are formed into one large one centered on a slightly larger star. All were applied to the light blue silk canton with white paint. A black silk crepe border was added to this flag during the period of official mourning for the death of President Abraham Lincoln. He was assassinated on the evening of April 14, 1865, and died the next morning. Flags across the country were draped in black crepe, which in Victorian-era parlance meant there were borders of black on some or all the edges. Some flags with inked black borders also survive.
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0617) in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection through auction at Sothebys of New York City.


University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, 7 June 2012

Rare Flags Exhibit

Santa Cruz, CA, June 7, 2012: The Zaricor Flag Collection exhibited 34 flags and artifacts at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus for the Board of Councilors Meeting.

36 Star United States
Grand Luminary Mourning Flag

Date: 1865

Media: Hand sewn silk with painted stars.

Comment: Although its popularity had waned during the Civil War, the grand
luminary arrangement of the stars to form one great star still held some degree of
favor at the end of the American Civil War. The symbolism of the grand luminary
or great star was a graphic representation of our national motto, E Pluribus
Unum or Out of Many, One, which had been popularized by the War of 1812
privateer Captain Samuel Reid.
In this small silk flag, the stars are formed into a large star centered on a
star that is slightly larger than the stars composing the points of the great star. All
were hand applied to the light blue silk canton with white paint.
A black silk crepe border was added to this flag during the period of official
mourning for the death of President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated on
the evening of April 14, 1865 and who died the next morning. Flags were draped
in black crepe, which in Victorian parlance also meant bordering all or some of
the edges of a flag.
After this flag was used as a mourning flag after the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln, the band of crepe, which surrounds the flag, was never
removed, and the flag was used to mourn other assassinated President,
John F. Kennedy.

Provenance: Acquired at auction by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0617) in
2002 from the Boleslaw and Marie Louise D'Otrange Mastai Estate via Sotheby's
Auctions, New York, New York. www.FlagCollection.com

Publications


Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Publication Copy Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 90-91.

36-Star Grand Luminary United States Mourning Flag

Although its popularity had waned during the Civil War, the Grand Luminary arrangement of the stars to form one great star still found some degree of favor at the end of that conflict. In this small silk flag, 35 small stars are formed into one star surrounding a central enlarged star. All were applied to the light blue silk canton with white paint. A black silk crepe border was added to this flag during the period of mourning for the death of President Abraham Lincoln. He was assassinated on the evening of April 14, 1865, and died the next morning. As the country mourned, everything from buildings to flags were draped in black crepe, which in Victorian-era parlance symbolized the nations grief. While most flags were in black silk crepe, some flags with inked black borders also survive.
Date: 1865
Size: 26.5" hoist x 36" fly
36 Stars: July 4, 1865 July 3, 1867 (Nevada statehood October 31,1864)
Media: Silk with hand-painted stars; silk crepe border added later
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 2002 from the Mastai Flag Collection through auction at Sothebys of New York City.

Druckman, Nancy, Jeffery Kohn, The American Flag: Designs for a Young Nation, New York, Abrams, 2003.P.57.
Flag Books
The Stars and The Stripes - Mastai

The Stars and The Stripes - Mastai


Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.