Unofficial block-printed 42-star American national parade flag (Washington statehood), 9.75 x 7, cotton fabric with sewn edges, featuring a canton with a rectilinear star pattern. Framed and in very good to fine condition, with toning and dampstaining; not examined outside of vintage frame.
The 42-star flag is an oddity in that its star count was never official. In 1889, Congress considered adding the Dakota Territory as a single state. What happened, however, was that the Dakota Territory was split into two states: North Dakota and South Dakota, and they were both admitted on November 2, 1889. Soon thereafter, on November 8, 1889, Montana was admitted as the 41st state, and on November 11, Washington was admitted as the 42nd. When Congress went on break, flag makers began producing anticipatory 42-star flags.
To the surprise of flag makers, on July 3, 1890—just one day before the 42-star flag was going to be official—Congress admitted Idaho as the 43rd state. As a result, the 42-star flag never became official, but the 43-star flag did. A few days later, on July 10, 1890, Congress admitted Wyoming as the 44th state. As a result of this rapid succession of state admissions, flag makers made large quantities of unofficial 42-star flags and official 44-star flags, but hardly any 43-star flags (despite it being an official star count).
