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Articles About Antique American Flags: |
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Collecting Old Glory Most people know surprisingly little about early American flags. In fact, most Americana dealers know as little about them—and sometimes even less than—the average person on the street. It’s downright peculiar when you think about it, and the situation continues to perplex me. What item can you honestly say is more American than the American flag? Save possibly an original draft of our Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, there is no antique that so encapsulates our nation’s heritage and the word “Americana.” |
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So You Want To Buy A 13 Star Flag? If you are looking for a Colonial / Revolutionary period 13 star flag, in other words, one made prior to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, or at the very least during the period when we had 13 states, prior to the 1791 addition of Vermont, I have some very bad news for you. Almost none exist. And those that are claimed to be of that time period are highly suspect until they are identified by one of the tiny hand few of people who are capable of the highly specialized task. |
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Colours of the South: When people think of the Confederate flag, different images are formed. Many Caucasian southerners—especially those persons with ancestral connection to a solider—would likely find an object that displays their heritage and southern patriotism. |
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Dispelling the Myths: |
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Flags of Our Forefathers: Much of what we believe about the American flag and its history is not true, or so claims Jeff Bridgman, an antiques dealer in the rural Pennsylvania town of Dillsburg, near Gettysburg, who specializes in vintage examples of Old Glory. He says, for example, that Betsy Ross probably did not create the first American flag, and that Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey signer of the Declaration of Independence, is a likelier candidate because in 1780 he billed the government for designing the flag and other patriotic emblems. |
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American Parade Flags with Overprinted Advertising
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Collecting Painted Furniture– The Rare Milk Cupboard |
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Following the Flags Leads Police to Stolen Antiques in Oklahoma City OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. - The Oklahoma City Police Department, working with a noted antiques expert on American flags and a local auction house recovered nearly 100 percent of the antiques that had been stolen from auctioneers Livingston Estate Services in mid-December. Valued at $30,000, the consigned items stolen in an apparent inside burglary included a very rare eight-stripe, 19-star American flag dating back to the early Nineteenth Century, a rare Shepard Hardware picture gallery mechanical bank from 1885, an Emerson Mickey Mouse radio, a large Lalique Bacchantes vase, six small statues, and six gold coins. |
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Pledging Allegiance When it comes to dealers of antique American flags, there is no name in the business as recognizable as Jeff Bridgman. He is, simply put, a dealer’s dealer. He travels like a madman, tirelessly, setting up his stylish displays at antique shows across the nation, tracking down and acquiring superb examples of Old Glory... |
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Top Ten Tips when selecting an early American National Flag (1) Unless you are buying from a dealer who knows a lot about flags, start small and be cautious. Most people, including almost all antiques dealers, know astonishingly little about early American flags. Be extremely wary of internet auctions, take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and ask a lot of questions. |
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| Jeff Bridgman Antiques • Historic York County, Pennsylvania • Tel. (717) 502-1281 or (717)676-0545 • info@jeffbridgman.com All images and Text © Jeff Bridgman 2001 - 2008 |