American Historical Ephemera & Photography

9 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. silk flag with 34 printed stars configured in a transition "Great Star" to pentagon pattern, including an inner 8-star wreath surrounding a large central star. Housed in gild frame, 19 x 24 in. (some areas of separation, few small holes, occasional spotting, not examined outside frame). 

The 34-star flag became official several months after the secession of seven southern states from the Union, however President Lincoln refused to allow the elimination of any stars when the new flag was created.

On the way to his inauguration in February 1861, President-elect Lincoln attended a ceremony in Philadelphia honoring the birthday of George Washington. He used the occasion to raise a 34-star flag over Independence Hall in a courageous act of faith and a bold gesture of national unity.

This flag has been exhibited at several museums and is documented in the book The Stars and Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit, Richard Pierce, LLC, 2005 (page 17).