Page 70 - The Hunt - Summer 2021

VINTAGE
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As we approach another July 4, it’s interesting to note that the Brandywine Valley region has been integral to many historical events that featured the evolution of the American flag, from Betsy Ross to
Fort McHenry, today a national park and
the sight of a battle in 1812 that inspired the poem that led to the National Anthem. Many famous flag paintings have been made in this area, and folk art has featured the flag on everything from pottery to the sides of barns. “For much of our history, the flag wasn’t all that important—except in battles and on ships,” says Jeff Bridgman, a folk art and flag dealer in York who most likely has the largest collection of American flags in existence. “It wasn’t until 1942 that a Federal Flag Code was enacted,” he says.
That act laid out the official measurements and observation practices for the flag— although it’s not illegal to ignore them.
In world history, early flags were less a matter of group pride and more likely to be used in signaling or messaging over
distances. Another facet of flags was to, in theory, recognize friend from foe. In a time before standard uniforms, “rallying around the flag” was a way to be sure you were on the correct side during pitched battles. Similarly, a flag on a ship showed its nationality, although novels and history are full of stories of pirates luring other ships closer under
false banners.
Though the countries of Europe had
already developed flags, the rise of nationalism was not yet in full flower at the time of the American Revolution. George Washington was said to have been impatient with Congress to authorize one for his troops. Until Sept. 9, 1776, when the term “United States of America” was official adopted, revolutionaries were still calling themselves “The United Colonies.”
So who made the first American flag? The truth is, we don’t really know. “It’s unlikely that Betsy Ross made the first Stars and Bars,” says Linda Eaton, senior curator emerita
of textiles at Winterthur Museum, Garden
& Library, who put together an exhibition about Ross, a professional upholsterer, a few years ago. “That story got fueled by one of her descendants after her death.”
However, it’s generally agreed that Ross did make American flags during the Revolution, and Philadelphia has remained a center for flag making up until this day. Those who enjoy flag history—and legend—can tour the Betsy Ross House, a historical landmark on Arch Street in Philadelphia.
When Washington died in 1799, people began using the flag in other ways. “Folk artists memorialized Washington in all media, especially in watercolor renderings of memorials that included monuments to his memory, as well as depictions of his tomb
at Mount Vernon,” says Paul D’Ambrosio, president and CEO of the Fenimore Art Museum and the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. “The largest body of work [that includes] the American flag is from the second quarter of the 19th century, roughly
1825-50. This period is known for an intense
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You’re Invited
May 30th - Sept 26th Fridays 5:30pm & Sundays 3pm
Tickets Online or at Gate: brandywinepolo.com
232 Polo Road, Tougkenamon, PA 19374
68 THE HUNT MAGAZINE summer 2021