This is a truly gorgeous flag, to see it flying in the wind, up close, is a magnificent experience. The day the photos were taken, it was a beautiful sunny day with the kind of breeze that let this flag fly with the freedom it represents.
From the day this treasure was discovered in a farmhouse in the Ohio countryside, I had seen it only folded or held up by several people at a time. It was so beautiful to see it ride the wind for what must have been the first time in many years.
In very good condition, it does show signs of wear and service but it also shows signs that it was carefully and lovingly stored.
There is some discoloration of the white fabric, staining, a small hole (please see fourth photo) near the top of the flag, and a small area where one of the four lines of stitching loosened where the hanging binding attaches to the field of stars, none of which keeps it from looking strong and proud on display. There may be additional very small holes or wear that we did not see because of the difficulty of trying to examine a flag of this size.
Made of all cloth, each of the flag's 48 stars has been applied using six pieces of white fabric sewn onto the dark blue background. It has two heavy duty hanging loops made of rope wrapped around a metal brace and hand-sewn onto the flag.
48-Star Cloth American Flag
**11 feet, 9 inches long and 7 feet, 10 inches tall**
**Sewn cotton cloth, hanging loops are of rope with metal guards**
**Stamped "Storm King 8 x 12" near one of the hanging loops**
**This flag has traveled from a little farm located in the Ohio countryside to a former Underground Railroad house listed on the National Register of Historic Places**
**The 48-star flag was the official flag from July 4, 1912 (when Arizona joined the union) till July 4, 1959 (when Alaska was added to the union)**
**Storm King was the brand name used by the Collegeville Flag Company of Collegeville, PA. While its primary business was Halloween costumes, it began manufacturing flags around 1900**
**Buyer accepts that there is existing wear and tear and other signs of usage. This is an antique, vintage, collectible flag and as such has imperfections and flaws, some of which may have been missed during inspection**
**Flag will be carefully packed and shipped in a box with insurance included**
**Funds from this sale will be used for the historic preservation and restoration of a former Underground Railroad house**
**No returns will be accepted on this item**
Special Note: The fence you see just under the flag in the pictures was put there to keep the flag from touching the ground during the struggle to take photos of such a large flag.
B-69378951
