Kit Hinrichs - 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia

1OO
AMERICAN
FLAGS

A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF
OLD GLORY MEMORABILIA

COLLECTION & DESIGN BY KIT HINRICHS
TEXT BY DELPHINE HIRASUNA
PHOTOGR APHY BY TERRY HEFFERNAN

CREDITS
Copyright 2008 by Kit Hinrichs, Delphine Hirasuna, and Terry Heffernan
Photography copyright 2008, 2007 by Terry Heffernan

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint
of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House inc.

Much of the material in this book has been previously published in Long May She Wave
(Ten Speed Press, 2001; 978-1-58008-240-2).

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hinrichs, Kit. 100 American flags : a unique collection of Old Glory memorabilia / collection &
design by Kit Hinrichs; text by Delphine Hirasuna; photography by Terry Heffernan.
Summary: A full-color photographic book presenting 100 American flag artifacts, artworks, and
memorabilia from one of the worlds most eminent collectionsProvided by publisher.
p. cm.
1. Flags in art. 2. Art, AmericanPictorial works. 3. FlagsUnited StatesPictorial works. 4. Hinrichs, KitArt collectionsPictorial works. 5. ArtPrivate collectionsUnited StatesPictorial works. I. Hirasuna, Delphine, 1946 II. Heffernan, Terry. III. Title. IV. Title: One hundred American flags.
N8217.F55H5595 2008
929.920973dc22 2007049871

eBook ISBN: 978-0-307-81579-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-58008-920-3

Cover and text design by Kit Hinrichs/Pentagram

v3.1

SPECIAL THANKS

Thanks to Aaron Wehner and Brie Mazurek at Ten Speed Press, and to Gloria Hiek for her dedication to designing and producing this book.

The Continental Congress resolved in 1777 that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation. The Revolutionary Wartime haste with which this resolution was written left these graphic elements open to broad interpretation. Far from being a static symbol, the American flag has been rendered with stars in countless configurations, especially as a new star was added each time a state joined the Union. Not only did the constellation vary from circles to rows, gaps were left on the blue canton by practical flag makers anticipating additional stars as more territories earned statehood. It was not until Congress passed official standards in 1912 that the flag took on a fixed appearance.

Still, more than a century without guidelines established a tradition of personalizing the Stars and Stripes, letting it speak not just for a nation, but for an ideal, a value, a way of life. Over the years, the American flag has been raised high in wartime triumph and peacetime celebration; burned in fervent protest; shown proudly on quilts, pillowcases, and bags; appropriated by commercial interests to sell goods; and honored every Fourth of July to celebrate Americas independence. This range of expressions has fascinated graphic designer Kit Hinrichs, who has amassed a collection of more than five thousand Stars and Stripes objects, from Civil War banners to Native American moccasins. 100 American Flags provides a glimpse of this spectacular collection and the stories behind each object.

FLAG NO. 1

Centennial Flag

In 1876, a flag maker created this flag to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and founding of the United States. Although widely known, the banner is not considered an official American flag since it features eighty-one stars instead of thirty-eight, the number of states in the Union at the time.

FLAG NO. 2

Regimental Flag

Upon being disbanded, the 71st New York Volunteer Infantry (also known as Sickles Brigade) created this thirty-five-star flag to commemorate the major battles of the Civil War in which the regiment participated.

FLAG NO. 3

Assorted Patriotic Pins

Around 1891, two inventionsa machine that could cut faceted glass and an automated metal plating devicemade the use of rhinestones affordable for all types of costume jewelry. The perfect accessory for patriotic occasions, rhinestone flag pins of red, white, and blue became the rage by the early twentieth century and have remained popular ever since.

FLAG NO. 4

Crocheted Flag

During World War I and II, even crochet patterns printed in womens magazines featured the American flag and wartime slogans.

FLAG NO. 5

Patriotic Pillow Cover

Crocheting was all the rage in the early part of the twentieth century, reaching its peak around the time of the First World War. Patriotic themes were particularly popular then, since more than four million Americansover 25 percent of the entire U.S. male population between the ages of eighteen and thirty-oneserved in the United States Army during the Great War.