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This beautiful 13 Star
Flag is features an unusual pattern of stars, with the
13th star having been added haphazardly to the left of
the center row, as if the maker originally forgot to
include it in the flag's original design. Unique
attributes such as this are precisely what make certain
rare antique flags memorable, each with their own charm
and character. The wool bunting of the canton and
red stripes has retained its vivid color and the flag
itself is remarkably intact. The hoist of the flag
is made of linen, rather than cotton, and the stripes
are sewn with a waxed linen thread which was used to
protect against rot when repeatedly exposed to moisture.
Both of these traits are seen on flags made for maritime
use in the early part of the 19th century.
The construction and materials of the flag are very
similar to several others in the Rare Flags collection
that date to the 1820 to 1840 period, which leads me to
believe this is the era when this flag was made and
used. The flag is
entirely hand sewn, and the single-appliqué stars
are actually affixed with the finished side to the
reverse of the flag. The workmanship of the
seamstress is excellent, and the cotton stars peek
through to the obverse and show the great handiwork and
precision of the appliqué work. Its fine elongated
proportions add to its attractiveness. In
general terms, the flag is in a 4-5-4 pattern, but the
positioning of the outlier star and the obvious
alignment of the right twelve stars in the flag makes
this a unique specimen and a rarity to behold. The
personal history of the flag is as follows:
"The flag originally
belonged to a man by the name of Chester Reed. Mr.
Reed at one time resided at 8 Stoney Brae Road, Newton
Highlands, Boston MA. He was the 6th descendant of
the Mayflower. When Mr. Reed's health began to
decline, a longtime neighbor with the last name of Good,
took care of Mr. Reed until his death. Mr. Reed
had given the flag to the Good family in return for
their kindness. The Good family held onto this flag
until Mr. Good passed away in 1994. Mr. Good's
son, Matthew Good had then been passed down the flag.
Matthew Good lives in Florida, which is where the flag
ended up prior to being sold at auction. The last
owner of the flag was Matthew Good." - May, 2011.
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