August 18 & 19, 2020 Edged Weapons, Armor, & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/18/2020
This 48-star U.S. flag measures 3' by 5' and bears a maker label along the hoist reading: "SIZE 3FT. X 5FT. / "PIONEER" GRADE / Valley Forge Flag Co. / SPRING CITY, PA." The company opened its Spring City operation during the Depression. The flag bears a large inscription in 4 lines, alternating black and gold: "Welcome / Reunion / 1938." This has been very professionally applied on 1 side. There is some slight bleed-through on the other. "UCV" is the "United Confederate Veterans" and along the hoist is a smaller stamp in black, "UDC," the "United Daughters of the Confederacy," indicating that the flag was actually property of that group and flown by them to welcome veterans to the reunion. Given the 1938 date of the reunion, the flag could have flown either at the July Gettysburg 75th Anniversary commemoration, which featured a UCV reunion, or at the August UCV reunion in Columbia, S.C. The use of a U.S. flag however, may point to the Gettysburg commemoration since although Confederate flags did appear there, their use had long been a deal-breaker in holding joint reunions. The UCV had been officially founded in 1889. At its height it had some 160,000 members. Declining membership in the 1920's placed active guidance in the hands of a President from the sons or daughters of veterans organizations. The last official member of the organization died in 1951 and the organization was officially dissolved by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 1952. CONDITION: Excellent. Vibrant colors to the red, white, and blue of the flag. Slight fading to the gold letters and numbers. Minor stains. Some slight bleeding from the gold paint. No tears or holes. SR
Item Dimensions: 3' x 5'.