This is a United States 42 star flag from the Indian Wars era. The 42 star flag was never an "official" star count flag. Just three days prior to Washington state's admission to the Union and their star would be officially recognized, Idaho entered the Union. There was a period of 243 days when the United States had 42 states, but the 42 star flag was never officially recognized. This flag is considered to be an 1890's period flag never the less. The flag measures 54" wide by 32" high. The canton and stripes are made of cotton muslin, while the heading is made of heavier weight cotton. The stars were made by using a process known as clamp dying. Two plates with the desired pattern would be clamped onto the material, then immersed into a vat of the desired color dye. Only the areas that were not clamped retained the dye. When the plates were removed the original white colored canton now had stars. The layout of the stars is 7-7-7-7-7-7. The orientation of the star points is upwards. The cotton heading has 2 grommets, made by using heavier ply thread and sewing the grommets onto the heading. The size of this flag suggests it may have been used as a parade flag, but could also have been flown at either a private residence, business or military installation. Both grommets are secure on the heading. There are no period repairs showing on the flag. The fly has two small frayed areas, the top and bottom corners. The stitching along this area is not frayed or broken. There are no holes in the flag. There is no makers stamp on the flag. For a piece of material that was used outdoors in all types of weather this one is still in good condition. The colors are slightly faded, but still bright enough to make you want to stand and salute when you see it! Especially when you consider it's at least 120 years old. If your war room or man cave includes Indian Wars memorabilia this will look perfect with it!

Item # AA1516

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