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 This
spectacular flag of 38 double-appliqué cotton stars hand
sewn onto a wonderful teal blue canton is the handiwork
of Mrs. Mary Jane Schulthies of Hummelstown,
Pennsylvania, just east of the state capital of
Harrisburg. Most likely the flag was made to
celebrate the American Centennial on July 4,1876, which closely
coincided with Colorado, our 38th state,
entering the Union less than a month later on August 1, 1876. The flag is
an exceptional example of a very rare triple medallion
pattern, with three rings of stars surrounding a single
central star and flanked by four corner stars, one in
each corner of the canton. One of the most
striking aspects of this flag, aside from its wonderful
medallion pattern, is the exceptional condition of the
flag. One can find virtually no holes, staining,
fading or foxing on the flag. In fact, it looks
nearly exactly as it looked when Mary Jane made her flag
over 130 years ago.
An interesting addition to the flag is a top hoist
running the length of the flag, which shows evidence of
having been used to tack the flag along the top edge so
that it could hang from a rafter or banister.
It's clear from the condition of the flag that it was
not flown outdoors for any length of time, if ever.
The workmanship of the whip-stitched grommets is one of
the finest I've ever experienced on an American flag,
and and the treadle stitched stripes are
exceptionally well done. Likewise, the hand
stitched cottons stars are finely sewn, with each star
positioned with great precision and exactly paired with
its counterpart on the back of the flag. All in
all, Mary Jane Schulthies' flag survives as an
outstanding
piece of workmanship, and, in all aspects, is a
masterpiece of American Flag making from the Centennial
Era.
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