Colonial Flag Company is celebrating  the Utah State Flag’s birthday in a big way.  Company seamstresses have produced a gigantic Utah State Flag which was raised today, the 9^th of March, on the 80 foot flagpole in front of the Utah State Capitol by Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell.  The 20 by 30 foot flag, which weighs over 22 pounds folded, will fly all day in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the Utah State Flag.

The huge flag has had a big impact.  The Utah State Senate has been considering House Bill 490 to officially designate March 9^th as Utah State Flag Day.  However, with the State Senate overburdened by critical legislation, it seemed likely that the session would end without the Senate taking action on H.B. 490.  Seeing Colonial’s huge flag flying on the centennial anniversary day of the Utah State Flag inspired the senators to suspend the rules and pass House Bill 490.  Consequently from this year forward, March 9^th is officially recognized as Utah State Flag Day.

On Thursday, March 10^th the huge flag will be raised in front of Colonial Flag Company Headquarters and Showroom located at 9390 South 300 West in Sandy, Utah.

The flag, sewn entirely on site in Sandy, is a beautiful example of the flag-making art.  It is double appliquéd so that the image is perfect on both sides.  The pattern, produced by Colonial Flag’s graphic artist, David Rindlisbach, honors the first color version of the Utah State Flag adopted in 1913.

Although the story of the Utah State Flag stretches back to 1903, its official history began on March 9^th in 1911 when the design of the first flag became law.  While the first design was a white emblem embroidered on a blue field, the current color version was adopted in 1913.  An error made in the design of a Utah State Flag produced in 1922 has been repeated by flag-makers until this year.  Less than a month ago the Utah Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 2 to correct that error.  However, the Resolution allows existing flags to be used until they need to be replaced.

Consequently, at this first celebration of Utah State Flag Day, the gigantic Utah flag is one of only a relatively small number of correct Utah State Flags in existence.  The others are part of Colonial Flag Company’s initial order of the correct pattern, and are available for sale at Colonial Flag Company’s Showroom located at 9390 South 300 West in Sandy.

Because of Colonial Flag Company’s efforts there were correct flags on display to celebrate the Centennial of the Utah State Flag, the first Utah State Flag Day.  We are proud to be a part of honoring the Utah State Flag on its centennial.

Utah’s first flag was made in March of 1903 by ZCMI seamstress, Agnes Tuedt Frenelius at the direction of the Utah State Society of the Daughters of the Revolution.  The organization received a request from Governor Heber M. Wells, for a flag to be display at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

The word “Utah” was added to the bottom of the flag sometime after 1905.

The flag above was adopted by Legislature as the state flag through SJR 17 by Senate President Henry Gardner on March 9, 1911.

Utah’s flag celebrates its centennial anniversary this year from when the flag was originally adopted in 1911. HCR 2 (Rep. Julie Fisher) reaffirms the statute of 1913 (the last code to describe Utah’s flag) and encourages flag manufacturers to follow current Utah code.  The resolution provides an opportunity for Utah’s school children to learn about the political process while learning about the flag’s history and encourages future generations to honor the flag and those who came before us.  Flags currently in use may continue to be used until no longer in good repair.

The picture above is a copy of the only known photo of the 1913 flag (minimal quality from an old newspaper).  The description and colors were taken from language found in the Senate Journal and the original resolution found in the State Archives.

Below is the current Utah flag. In 1922, the “1847” was mistakenly put just above the “1896” and not on the shield, which does not follow the statute and has been perpetuated to this day.

Utah’s flag celebrates its centennial anniversary this year from when the flag was originally adopted in 1911.  HCR 2 (Rep. Julie Fisher) reaffirms the statute of 1913 (the last code to describe Utah’s flag) and encourages flag manufacturers to follow current Utah code.

The resolution provides an opportunity for Utah’s school children to learn about the political process while learning about the flag’s history and encourages future generations to honor the flag and those who came before us.

Flags currently in use may continue to be used until no longer in good repair.

The graphic above is a representation of the flag based on the 1913 resolution, and the surviving photograph. The description and colors were taken from language found in the Senate Journal and the original resolution found in the State Archives.

The flag is based on the Utah seal approved on April 3, 1896 through H. B. 164 by Rep. Edward Critchlow, as required by the Utah Constitution.  It was based on a design submission by Harry Edwards and Charles M. Jackson.  The flag displays an American bald eagle, a shield and six arrows which represent the six Indian tribes found in the territory at statehood.  Also displayed are the state motto, “INDUSTRY”, the beehive, the state flower the sego lily, (also adopted in 1911), the name “UTAH” and the year the pioneers enter the valley 1847.  The shield is surrounded by two partially shown period US flags on staffs with the date of statehood, 1896 below.  A thin gold ring surrounding the crest and gold fringe on its border finishes the flag.

When the President of the United States appears on camera, we normally see a representation of the Presidential seal attached to his podium and the Presidential flag displayed at his side. Today, these symbols of Presidential power and authority share the same design.

Although there have been several Presidential seals and even more Presidential flags, their various designs have basically run parallel throughout our nation’s history.

Consider the Presidential seal seen above. Not a plaque made to be displayed on a platform, this engraved seal die was cut to make wax impressions that were applied to documents and letters, as true seals. Made perhaps as early as 1845 during the administration of James K. Polk, the seal found use during the presidencies of Polk, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln. Lincoln replaced it in late 1864 with a seal showing thirty-six stars, the full complement of stars to represent all states: North and South. The “old seal” as it was later called disappeared until located and recognized by a Utah researcher, Ronald Fox. The seal’s design is strikingly similar to the design of a Presidential flag illustrated in a little book entitled Maritime Flags of All Nations published in London in 1848. The design and the eagle’s wings are extended to fill the flag’s rectangular space and a red scroll with the motto E. Pluribus Unum was added; nevertheless, the parallels between seal and flag are obvious.

For both emblems, the American eagle holds the olive branch of peace in the right talon and the arrows of war in its left claw. This clearly symbolizes the U.S. Presidents authority as Commander-in-chief. A civilian head of the armed forces charged to maintain peace with military might when required.

Others did not agree.  One suggestion seems particularly bizarre.  Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph asked, “…what is to become of the flag of the union . . .”?  He did not believe in coercion to maintain the Union.  He suggested that the flag, like the map, be divided giving each “confederacy” one half of the stripes and the appropriate number of stars.  Morse prophesied that at some future time the two nations would reunite and the two flags “…would clasp fittingly together, and the glorious old flag of the union, in its entirely, would be hoisted, once more embracing all the sister states.”

Flag of the North.

Flag of the South.

Lincoln refused Morse’s suggestion.  The war over the division of the map and the flag took five bitter years of battle and death to resolve.  This established, as the Pledge of Allegiance later clearly defined, that we are “one nation indivisible.”

Union showing added forty-eighth star in lower left hand corner.

Union showing the original forty-seven stars without added star.

The manufacturer apparently also believed that the pattern for Forty-seven and perhaps an even later Forty-eight star flags would follow a staggered pattern of stars as seen on the forty-five and forty-six star flags.  Perhaps the maker intended a flag that could be updated when the forty-eighth state would eventually enter the Union.  If this was indeed the logic, the manufacturer was wrong on all counts.

Detail showing added crudely sewn forty-eighth star on the left.

A crudely appliquéd Forty-eighth star was added, but the pattern of stars was still incorrect making the flag a double oddity.  There are few Forty-seven star flags in existence.  This is perhaps the only Forty-seven—Forty-eight star flag.

While this flag’s design has never been official, it gives us insight into how the United States flag has evolved as new states joined the Union.  If a fifty-first state joins the Union in the future, we can expect that flags will be made anticipating a new pattern of stars.  Flag makers that guess wrongly will have unofficial variants that may one day be rare considered flag oddities.

The Star Spangled Banner Flag.

The battleship USS Constitution flew this flag defending American vessels and asserting U.S. sovereignty in battles against the Barbary pirates. Ultimately, the Constitution defeated several British warships during the War of 1812. She earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” when British shells seemed to bounce of her hull. Today, the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned battleship afloat. She may be visited at Charlestown Navy Yard at the end of Boston’s Freedom Trail. United States Flags may be flown for individuals from the ships riggings. Make requests to the ship’s Flag Coordinator found on the USS Constitution’s official Web site.  A certificate signed by the ship’s commander to record the event will be returned with the flag.

During the Battle of Baltimore in the same war, the flag gained its endearing name, “The Star Spangled Banner.” Poet Francis Scott Key coined the name as he penned our national anthem, “and the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”  Key saw the huge flag flying over Fort McHenry on the morning after the battle.  He knew the fortress had not surrendered, and he found inspiration to write the beloved poem.  Fort McHenry may be visited today in Baltimore’s harbor. A reproduction of the Star Spangled Banner flies over the star shaped fortress.

Sailors aboard USS Constitution raise 15 star & 15 stripe U.S. flag.

The original flag, which flew over Baltimore’s Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, has become the nation’s most cherished artifact.  Torn and tattered by battle and years of neglect, having suffered the removal of souvenir patches, and having deteriorated through the passage of time—the banner has been the subject of several preservation projects.  At a cost of two million dollars, the latest monumental preservation effort has secured the flag for future generations.  The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is home to the conserved flag.  When visiting Washington, D.C. don’t miss a visit to view the Star Spangled Banner.

If you are not planning a visit to Washington, visit the Smithsonian’s official Web site (http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb) for the Star Spangled Banner’s.  It will amaze and inspire you.

On first glance, the description seems sufficient.  Knowing, as we do, what the first U.S. flag looked like, we mentally check off the items:  thirteen red and white stripes, check; a union, check; thirteen white stars on blue, check.  Yes, everything is there.  On the other hand, there are many details not clearly defined in that resolution.  Is it seven red stripes or only six?  How big is the union?  How many points does each star have?  What is the pattern for the stars?  A circle of thirteen?  Twelve stars in a circle surrounding a central star?  Or are the stars displayed in rows?  How many rows?  Is the flag square or rectangular?  If we had never seen an American flag, we would have a lot of questions that the Flag Resolution did not answer.  Many variants are possible all following the description in the flag resolution.

Strangely, the flags actually used during the American Revolution were even more diverse than that.  It was not uncommon for early U.S. flags to boast red, white and . . . blue stripes.   As a matter of fact, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, our commissioners to France, described the flag in 1778 as follows:  “It is with pleasure that we acquaint your Excellency that the flag of the United States of America consists of 13 stripes, alternately red, white and blue; a small square in the upper angle, next to the flag staff, is a blue field, with 13 white stars, denoting a new Constellation.”

Some illustrations of the period show U.S. flags with red white and blue stripes.  John Paul Jones sailed into the Dutch harbor at Texel in 1779 with two ships.  One was an American vessel, the Alliance.  The second was a British ship that Jones had captured.  The British protested to Dutch authorities that the ships did not fly recognized national ensigns; therefore, Jones and his crews were pirates.  Quietly, the Dutch sent an artist down to the wharf with instructions to paint illustrations of the flags flying from the two American ships.  They then placed the pictures in their files.  When the British complained again, the Dutch pulled out the paintings of the two flags.  The Dutch did recognize the flags as genuine national flags.  A few years later, in 1793, a sheet of national flags was published in Augsberg, Germany.  It showed the U.S. flag labeled in French “Pavillion du Congrés Americain,” which translates “Flag of American Congress.”  It also shows red, white and blue stripes.This points out that there were actually many variations of the Stars and Stripes in the early years of the republic.  Details were pretty much left up to the flag maker.  If it had stars, stripes and was red white and blue, that was close enough.  Today, all of these questions have been answered.  The description for the United States flag is extremely specific in every detail.  Even the ratios of each dimension are spelled out.  If the hoist (width) is given the ratio value of 1.0, then the fly (length) is 1.9.  Even the ratio of the stars has been computed.  Each of the fifty stars is officially designated as being a ratio of 0.0616 of the hoist.  Click for the chart here.

Also, learn more here…

If you want to make a flag, better get out your scientific calculator.  Better yet, buy a ready made flag.  Colonial Flag will make sure you get a flag that is correct.  Three cheers for the red white and blue!

The Bedford Flag.

One particular question remains pretty much unanswered to this day: when and where was the Bedford flag made?  Some evidence available takes us back to the early 18th century.

Now, the Bedford flag was made from crimson silk damask, with on top of this material, the actual design of the flag.  The image on both side of the Bedford flag is not the same.  One side of the flag displays “VInce Aut Morire” which is Latin for conquer or die reading from the top of the Bedford flag to the bottom on one side, and in the opposite direction on the other side.  Also, the sword which is displayed behind the motto on one side, is displayed in front of the motto on the other side of the flag.

Historic professionals out there have been inclined to say that the Bedford flag was a flag that was made for a another cavalry, some 310+ years ago, because of it’s similarity.  However, with the aid of science, this possibility was discarded after in-depth analysis was performed on the paint used on the emblem of the Bedford flag.  Outcome of this analysis concluded that this paint type did not exist till 1704, some 20 to 30 years later.

Lots more can be said, or even discussed I am very sure, with regards to the history of the this special battle flag.  Now, whatever ends up being the Bedford flag’s history, it is still on display in the Bedford Free Public Library, in Bedford, Massachusetts.

However, on May 1, 1903, in St. Louis, the delegation from the Union’s youngest state marched proudly with their new flag in the parade of states.  A photograph was taken of the delegation standing around the flag.

More than 100 years later, in 2008, Ronald Fox, also contributor to flag-post.com, found the photograph of the flag.

As some of you know, Ron is a “history buff” and an indefatigable artifact hunter.  Like a pit bull, he latched onto the idea of finding the flag…

]]> http://www.flag-post.com/utahs-first-flag-finally-found/feed/ 0 http://www.flag-post.com/the-alamo-flag/ http://www.flag-post.com/the-alamo-flag/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:35:16 +0000 Alexander Piket http://www.flag-post.com/?p=785 The Alamo Flag is fascinating to me.  The flag was created by replacing the Eagle in the center of the Mexican tricolor flag with the year “1824,” referencing the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, in support of which the state of Texas was supposedly fighting.

The Alamo Flag.

The Mexican flag or flag of Mexico (in Spanish: “Bandera de Mexico”) has a vertical tricolor (from left to right) of green, white and red with the national coat of arms placed in the center of the flag.  Like with some other flags out there, the meaning of the colors of the flag of Mexico have changed over time.

The three colors were initially adopted by Mexico following the independence from the Spain.  The current flag was adopted in 1968, but the general design of the flag has been in use since 1821.

The flag of Mexico.

Another interesting note, without the coat of arms on the center of the Mexican flag, the flag of Mexico looks very similar to the flag of Italy.

The flag of Italy.

The Alamo Flag was the very first flag approved for use by forces by a Texan legislative body.  In 1835, the Texan government authorized the use of the Alamo Flag for privateers preying on Mexican commerce.

Historic professionals have often said that the “1824 flag” was flown by Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.  However, this was never declared until 1860, a few decades following the end of the battle.

Various modern writers have pointed out that the presence of the 1824 flag at the time and place of the battle is “highly unlikely.” A similar flag was flown at least briefly by the “Texan Tejano” forces, featuring two black, six pointed stars in place of the date.

The Lone Star And Stripes flag.

It is likely that the actual “Alamo flag” referred to by records of that time period, was the “Lone Star and Stripes,” which had been depicted in use at earlier battles such as “Goliad,” and was widely referred to as the “Texian flag.”