$175,000
Estimate: $175,000 - $250,000
American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Auction: April 17, 2013 11:00:00 AM EDT
Comprised of blue wool canton with thirteen 5-pointed white cotton stars in a 4-5-4 pattern appliqued on both sides, thirteen white and red wool stripes, cotton hoist, all hand-sewn with linen thread.
21 1/2 in. x 38 3/4 in.Provenance: According to family tradition, the flag was found in a trunk belonging to Michael Patrick Patton (1870-1943) of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a draper and decorator of flags for patriotic displays, by his great grandson.
Born to John and Catherine Patton of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Michael and most of his seven siblings worked at the Cardington Mills cotton cloth factory at nearby Cobb's Creek. Their jobs included weaving, dying, piecing and picking. At the time of Michael's marriage, his bride Julia Elizabeth Ruth, June 5, 1892, is listed as a weaver. In the early part of the 20th century Michael became involved in decorating buildings and large interiors such as large rooms in the Frankford Arsenal.
It wasn't until the early 1960s that his trunk was passed on to his great grandson. Even then, the great grandson, who was occupied by making his way in life following his profession, took little interest in the trunk. At that time he recognized the piece as an American flag but took no real interest in its potential as an important piece of American history. It wasn't until he had retired that he realized what it was.
He then began in earnest to pursue verifying that it was indeed an 18th century flag. He had the flag inspected and analyzed by McCrone Associates, Inc. of Westmont, Illinois and they concluded that this flag had all the characteristics of an 18th century flag. The owner has recently had it conserved and framed by a well-known textile conservator.
The flag's hand written inscription is thought to have been made by Nathaniel Ames (1761-1863). Born in Killingly, Connecticut, Ames joined the New London County Militia at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War at the age of 17, and helped build Fort Griswold. He later joined the Connecticut Continental Army and served under Washington during the harsh winter at Morristown in 1780. Ames then joined the crew of a 16-gun brig, "Marquise de Lafayette" as a privateer and traveled to Holland and the West Indies.
Upon its return in 1783, Ames signed onto another merchant ship going to the West Indies, this time under an English captain. This ship was captured and taken to Bermuda where the crew was held prisoner for three months. It is during this captivity that Ames supposedly signed and dated the flag. It is also possible that Ames was impressed onto a British ship for three more years at sea.
Ames eventually became a farmer and Methodist minister in Oneida County, New York, until the age of 75 when he moved to a farm in Wisconsin.
The flag is accompanied by photocopies of Ames's pension records from the National Archives, correspondence relating to his years of military service, a number of accounts of his life, photographs and transcriptions of interviews with Ames dating from December 11, 1832 and a June 28, 1833 during which he recounts his Revolutionary War service. Also included is a photocopy of "A Sketch of the Life of Nathaniel Ames as Dictated by him, the R.P. Main, Oregon, Wis," and an article from The Saturday Globe, March 5, 1898.
An analysis of the fiber and dye content of the flag materials and ink inscription on the hoist has been completed and accompanies this lot. The red dye has been identified as cochineal and the blue dye as Prussian blue, both in common use in England and North America by the end of the 18th century. The inscription ink was identified as thin Oriental smoke black ink in a gelatin binder, probably mixed with sea water-also appropriate for the late 18th century.