< Back    Next >


 

While 48 star flags are actually quite common and can be found regularly in antique stores and on auction and sale sites, there are always great rarities within any star count, and among 48 star flags this is one of them.  The flag is the only that I am aware of marked with the date of Armistice Day, later to become our national holiday, Veterans Day. The formal end of hostilities for World War I ended in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.  The day, originally known as Armistice Day, was marked by President Woodrow Wilson as a day to honor the heroism of those who died in the war.  Armistice Day became a recurring holiday in 1938 and later in 1954 under President Eisenhower, the holiday was legally changed to Veterans Day, a day to celebrate the sacrifices and heroism of all veterans from all wars. 

The flag is marked on the hoist, in pencil, with the name A. W. Huffman, and although the family history behind the flag is lost, it's clear from the construction techniques and materials that the flag is a homemade example.  The stars are hand sewn and the hoist consists of smaller hoist lengths, possibly from commercially purchased flags, stitched together to make one large hoist.  The brass grommets are hardware store purchased and crudely clamped into the flag and the maker's lack of experience in affixing grommets is evident.  The flag is made entirely of cotton, and the use of cotton and the purplish blue color of the canton is unusual also indicative of a homemade flag.  Finally and most strikingly, the finely embroidered date, Nov. 11 1918. on the lower white stripe shows evidence of careful design, with shadowed pencil markings where the seamstress planned her letters before executing the beautiful final embroidery.


 

Learn more about the presence of writing on American Flags. Star Count:  48

Dates:  November 11, 1918

War Era:  World War I

Statehood:  Arizona

Construction:  Cotton

Catalog Number:  IAS-00166

   
   

Next:
13 Stars, Lafayette Visit
June 13, 1825


Except where cited otherwise, all content © 2010-2020 by Anthony Iasso   

Contact Me   

  Guest Book