Annin Defiance 48-Star Cotton Bunting Flag, Framed — WWII–Korea Era

Forty-eight stars. For forty-seven years — from the admission of New Mexico and Arizona in 1912 through the eve of Alaska statehood in 1959 — that canton went to war, came home, flew over courthouses and front porches, and watched America become the dominant force of the twentieth century. The flag in this lot carried every one of those years: it flew under Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, and Eisenhower. It was the flag raised at Iwo Jima. The flag that greeted soldiers coming off troopships in 1945. The flag that flew on the morning of June 25, 1950, when the Korean War began. No other star count in American history presided over more.

This example is a quality production piece by Annin & Co. under their premium Defiance label — cotton bunting, two-ply, moth-proofed — with the original woven maker's label intact at the hoist header. The canton is deeply saturated navy, separately pieced and seamed to the stripe field in the traditional construction method. Stars are individually embroidered in white, arranged in six clean rows of eight. The canvas hoist runs the full fly with brass grommets at top and bottom, and the fly end carries a small embroidered maker's mark in the red stripe near the lower grommet — an Annin production detail. Presented professionally framed under UV-protective glass in a black molded frame with a cream mat, ready to hang.

Annin & Co. was founded in New York in 1847 and remains the oldest and largest flag manufacturer in the United States — the company that supplied flags to Abraham Lincoln's White House and has produced flags for every presidential inauguration since. Their Defiance line was the premium outdoor bunting grade: heavier two-ply cotton construction, moth-proofing treatment, and reinforced hoist canvas designed for genuine sustained use rather than ceremonial display. The Defiance label dates in this form to the mid-twentieth century, placing this flag squarely in the WWII-to-Korea production window. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, original 48-star flags in framed, displayable condition occupy an increasingly specific place in American material culture — tangible objects from the era that defined the country's modern identity.

CONDITION

Very Good with age-appropriate wear. Scattered light soiling and small tan spots to the white stripes; a repaired area in one red stripe near the lower grommet — consistent with a flag that saw actual use before retirement. Stars, stitching, grommets, canvas hoist, and maker's label are all sound.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall Framed: 30 1/4" H × 42 3/4" W × 1" D
• Visible Flag: 23" H × 36" W
• Star Count: 48 (six rows of eight)
• Star Pattern Dates: July 4, 1912 – July 3, 1959
• Maker: Annin & Co. — "Defiance" label, cotton bunting, two-ply, moth-proof
• Material: Cotton bunting body, canvas hoist, brass grommets
• Glazing: UV-protective glass
• Frame: Black molded frame, cream mat