Historical society’s 13-star flag can be worth millions

[Marcus Wendel]

It’s not that the New London County Historical Society didn’t appreciate the antique 13-star American flag — made of faded white and red silk ribbons hand-stitched together — that’s long been part of its collection.
In fact, a few years ago, after being prompted by a visiting scholar who worried about the precarious way the flag was hung sandwiched between two pieces of old glass, the society had it restored at the textile lab at the University of Rhode Island and reframed.
In 2006 the society gave the flag an important place in an exhibit marking the 225th anniversary of the burning of New London, and it still hangs prominently over the mantle in a front parlor of the Shaw Mansion in downtown New London.
It wasn’t until a new member got interested in the flag last summer — and did some research on it — that the society came to understand just what a prize it has.
At the conclusion of their own do-it-yourself sort of Antiques Roadshow assessment, society officials decided it is most likely one of only a small number of remaining 13-star flags from the Revolutionary War period, worth possibly tens of millions of dollars.
“We have come to the conclusion it is probably a very rare thing, a sort of a national treasure,” said Edward Baker, executive director of the society, who led some of the most recent research on the flag, consulting with the Smithsonian Institution and vexillologists, or flag experts. “One thing that puts it in perspective is that the Smithsonian does not even have a stars and stripes of this period.”
Baker said the flag’s value was made more obvious after a Sotheby’s auction last year in which an anonymous bidder paid $17.4 million for four rare flags that had been captured on the battlefield during the American Revolution.

http://www.telegram.com/article/2008021 ... 00474/1052

/Marcus

[Peter Ansoff]

I wrote an article about this flag for "NAVA News" in 2008, after interviewing Mr. Baker and several other people who are familiar with it. The flag's conncection with the Revolutionary War period is based only on a family story. It is about 24 by 30 inches, far too small to have been used as a garrison or ship's flag, and it is made of silk ribbon rather than bunting. Also, it has no header, and no sign of ever having one.

My conclusion in the article was: "Genuine 18th-century stars-and-stripes flags are extremely rare, and it is very intriguing to think that the New London flag might be one such. One needs to be very circumspect, however . . . It seems more plausible that a small, homemade silk flag like this might have been a promotional item, possibly associated with Lafayette's visit to New London in 1824, or with the United States Centennial in 1876."

The published version of my article (NAVA News 197, Page 4) has a good color photograph of the flag, generously provided by Mr. Baker of the NLCHS.

Peter Ansoff
Annandale, Virginia, USA

[christopher Perrici]

Peter,
Looks like you did not pay attention to the flag or investigate the flags history. The reason for why no header exists or hoist is because Mrs Shaw died, never finishing the flag and other silk needle work she was finishing. Her husbands coat of arms shows three URNS, just like his flags star pattern in the center of the flag. Second, the flag was made for MR. SHAWS office he being Connecticuts US NAVY AGENT, where the flag reside today, if you did not know he was one of the first US Navy agents because he owned ships used at the start of the war.

Did you not know that he out fitted the first US NAVY ships, including the "Alfred" in New London before they went to Philadelphia, also adding that he owned close to 10 privateers active and successful in the American Revolution. I guess you also forgot to mention in your articles his star design, circle of ten stars with three star in the center. This star pattern design was his personal star pattern taken from his family coat of arms, John Hancock flag was nine stars in a circle with four in the center, (Hancock flag, Bucks of America flag)! Did you or your associates ever notice the twelve star circle flag with a star in the center? First designed, made by General Wooster's wife and Mrs. Sherman, documented making the first Connecticut 13 Stars and Stripes flag in New Haven, flown on many New Haven ships. Mrs. Sherman was the women documented in husbands diary for placing three stars on the flag B. Ross made for Washington. Mrs. Shermans husband did sign the Delaration of Independece and was the only person in Congress to sign all four of the Nations historic documents. John Trumbulls flag looks close to the flag just mentioned, Right? Trumbull painted the flag in respect to his father, where historians forget Gov. Trumbull was Washingtons personal advisor. You ever hear of the old say Connecticut, the provision State, came about because Connecticut provided more resources than any other state in the American Revolution, including all war priors to the American Revolution. Well, Capt. Nathaniel Shaw was one of biggest providers from Connecticut.

Go check the John Shaw flags, would you think Joseph of MA, Shaw of New London were related by chance, same clan? All three of these men were members of safty committees, also! While you were at the Shaw Mansion interviewing Mr. Baker, did you look at the painting of Thomas Shaw? See the flag floating 4-5-4 Red, White, Blue stripes, I bet you would say it was a John Paul Jones tribute. A tribute true tribute to Capt. John Deshon who put up the money to build Fort Trumbull, the same man outfitted with his personal money the CT troops who went fight at Bunker Hill, Lexington and Concord.

Capt. John Deshon was head of the US Navy Eastern Board Division out of Boston. He was the man in control of every aspect of US NAVY Ships, Privateers in NH, MA, CT, RI. He is the reason why Red, white and blue stripes where used in first place, he being the one of the most prominent, weathiest shipping merchants in New England, who did business with the Lafayette family in merchant shipping, you would not know that would you? You discredit, Shaws unfinished flag made by his wife who gave her life from contracting a fever from aiding men from the prison ships, a womens history you know nothing about and would not see her a hero, would you?

Are you one of those flag experts who think we gained our Independence from winning the war by land battles or Navy Battles? Think again!

[Peter Ansoff]

Hi, Chris,

The reason for why no header exists or hoist is because Mrs Shaw died, never finishing the flag and other silk needle work she was finishing. Her husbands coat of arms shows three URNS, just like his flags star pattern in the center of the flag. Second, the flag was made for MR. SHAWS office

When I discussed this with Mr. Baker at the NLCHS, he agreed that all this was a family story, similar to the Betsy Ross legend, and that there was no actual evidence that linked the flag to the 18th century. I you have any such evidence, I'd be very interested to hear about it. As for the arrangement of the three urns, that is a very common way to display three charges on a heraldic shield. The three crowns of Sweden are a good example.

Did you not know that he out fitted the first US NAVY ships, including the "Alfred" in New London before they went to Philadelphia,

This is not correct. The Alfred was initially outfitted in Philadelphia, not New London. She and the rest of the Continental squadron came to New London in April of 1776, after their initial cruise to the Bahamas and their battle with HMS Glasgow.

I won't try to distangle the rest of your post. It appears to be a few facts strung together by a lot of wild speculation.

Peter Ansoff
Annandale, Virginia, USA