United States 44-star printed linen parade flag with an unusual configuration of stars, including two rows of eight stars over four rows of seven stars. Housed under glass in a modern gilt wood frame. Circa 1891-1896.
This is by far the oldest flag we've had, and I thought it was especially interesting not just because of the age but the configuration of the stars. There was no effort to make things symmetrical, and it simply looks incomplete, which, too me, makes it especially interesting.
— Lee Wright | Founder
Frame size: 43" x 34.5"
Shipping: $200 with signature required. Please allow two weeks for shipping.
The history behind 44-star flags flag, from America's leading flag dealer, Jeff Bridgman:
"Wyoming joined the Union as the 44th state on July 10th, 1890. Although the 44 star count would not become official until July 4th of the following year, many flag makers would have begun to add a 44th star to their flags at the time that the state was added. Some may have even done this beforehand, in hopeful anticipation. This was common practice among flag-makers both commercial in the latter 19th century.
"According to the Third Flag Act, enacted by Congress on April 4, 1818, stars were to be added on Independence Day following a state's addition. Flag makers didn't generally care what was official, however, so while the 44 star count remained official until July 3rd, 1896, it would have generally fallen out of use at the beginning of that year, when Utah gained statehood on January 4th.
"Evidence of the eagerness for new states is particular notable on this flag, which leaves 4 open spaces along the hoist end for the addition of Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Earlier in the 19th century, the complement of territories, their names, borders, and potential for statehood were less certain. After the Dakota Territory entered as two separate states in 1889, the remainder of the path was easier to predict. For this reason one will find 45 star flags with 3 notches for additional states, and 46 star flags with 2 notches, preceding the future count of 48 that was achieved in 1912. Notched patterns appear in earlier flags, as well, but not with the correct number of spaces to reach a sum of 48 states in the continental union. [Alaska and Hawaii were not added until 47 and 48 years later, in 1959 and 1960, respectively]."
Source: JeffBridgman.com
