Historic Flags and on Exhibit

HISTORIC UNITED STATES AND UTAH STATE FLAGS AND OTHER ARTIFACTS ON EXHIBIT AT COLONIAL FLAG TO COMMEMORATE FLAG DAY (JUNE 14TH)

Sandy, Utah - Commemorating Flag Day (June 14th), Colonial Flag Co. has arranged for several significant historic United States and Utah State flags for public show. Beginning Friday June 11th, 2010 and concluding Monday June 14th, a beautifully embroidered Utah State flag believed to be only the second one made will be on display. The U.S. flag flown on the USS Utah as she sank in Pearl Harbor and retrieved later by divers will also be on display. All flags are courtesy of the Utah State Historical Society.

In addition, a collection of Presidential China used by 15 different presidents for inaugural dinners or White House guests will be displayed courtesy of Mr. Ron Fox. This unique collection has china used by Presidents Lincoln, Truman, Roosevelt, Wilson, Reagan and others.

Flags from a private collection owned by flag collector and local vexillologist John Hartvigsen will also be on display. His flags include a rare forty-seven star flag tied to the admittance of Arizona and New Mexico to the Union.

The flag is a rare unofficial Forty-Seven Star flag that was converted into a variant Forty-Eight Star flag. The flag maker produced the flag believing that either Arizona or New Mexico would enter the Union alone creating an official Forty-Seven Star flag. Instead, both states entered the Union in the same year. The stars in the canton of U.S. flags increased from forty-six to forty-eight without an intervening Forty-Seven Star flag.

This is perhaps the only Forty-Seven-Forty-Eight Star flag in existence!

The flag was owned by two sisters in Salt Lake City, Utah. The sisters apparently added the Forty-Eighth Star. Each taught school for forty years in the Salt Lake School District. Neither sister married. The flag was inherited by a cousin who donated it to the Hartvigsen Collection.

Also on loan will be two seldom seen Congressional Medals of Honor that are in the possession of the State Historical Society having been issued post humusly to Utahans that had no family to claim them.

July 4th, 2010 is the fiftieth anniversary of the 50 star flag which began official use on July 4th, 1960. Colonial Flag will have on display a flag signed by Bob Heft, designer of the 50 star U.S. flag; the longest continually used official U.S. flag.

Media Notes:

Colonial Flag is located at 9390 South 300 West, west of I-15 near the 90th South exit. All historic items will be on display near the main entrance.

Please contact Paul Swenson (801) 706-2142 for more information or to secure images of relics.

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Paul Swenson
(801) 706-2142
paul@colonialflag.com

06/10/2010