Piece of red-white-and-blue history comes to ALPLM
(Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum)
Rare 21-star flag now on display at presidential museum
SPRINGFIELD – The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum launched its Independence Day celebration Thursday by giving the public its first chance to see an ultra-rare 21-star flag made to mark Illinois becoming America’s 21st state in 1818. The flag will remain on display for several months, a tribute to the state’s enormous contributions to American history.
Among its unique features are a star pattern in the shape of one large star and white stripes instead of red at the top and bottom. The flag has been featured in books, museum exhibits and videos about the history of the American flag. One expert called it “a national treasure.”
Frayed from age and use, the flag has undergone extensive conservation work to halt further deterioration. Its delicate fabric has been carefully cleaned and attached to a linen backing. Light netting was placed over the red and blue sections to hold them safely in place. The entire flag was then put under conservation-grade Plexiglass to protect it from ultraviolet radiation.
“This flag may be tattered, but it represents something that hasn’t weakened over the past 207 years – the determination of Illinoisans to help make America a ‘more perfect union.’ The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is honored to take on the job of safeguarding this piece of history,” said ALPLM Executive Director Christina Shutt. “Sharing this flag with the world is especially appropriate as we begin the countdown to America’s 250th birthday next year.”
At 7.4 feet wide and 6.4 feet tall, the flag is almost square, although that may indicate the ends of the stripes were lost to constant wear and tear. Its star pattern is known as the “grand luminary” and was first popularized just before Illinois achieved statehood.
The flag was purchased from a private collector using funds donated to the state of Illinois for acquisition of historic objects. The price was $15,625. On the rare occasions that similar flags have been sold, they have usually gone for much higher figures.
Illinois achieved statehood on Dec. 3, 1818, and the nation’s flag was officially changed to 21 stars on July 4, 1819. This flag was used for just one year, until a 23-star flag was adopted after Alabama and Maine entered the union. In that era, flags were not mass produced and displayed at homes and businesses, so relatively few of the 21-star versions were ever made. Far fewer survive today.
“Nothing connects people to the past the way historic artifacts do. This flag invites everyone to picture it flying in 1819 and marvel at the ways America and Illinois have changed since then. Even its stars and stripes give us a chance to reflect on the differences between flags then and now,” said Ian Hunt, the presidential library’s head of acquisitions.
James J. Ferrigan III, a flag expert who advised the Smithsonian Institution on conservation of the original Star-Spangled Banner, has seen the flag up close and dates it to Illinois becoming a state. “The star-count, design motifs and construction details all demonstrate that we were still formulating our image of ourselves as a nation and a people,” Ferrigan wrote, calling it a “national treasure.”
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov. You can follow the ALPLM on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.
