Lot 562

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Description:

A singular piece of American history, a standard of the President of the United States, hand-made by the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot and utilized in the White House under the administration of President JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917-1963). The navy-blue rayon flag, 52" x 66", is hand-embroidered on both sides with the Seal of the President of the United States in silk thread, surrounded by fifty stars in white silk thread. The flag is bordered on three sides by a hand-knotted 3" fringe of alternating gold and silver bullion, while the hoist edge is folded over and sewn, with the fringe absent. Soft brown leather loops are sewn inside the hoist at top and bottom. A white fabric maker's label is also sewn inside the top of the hoist, reading: "Job 6279/Flag, Distng/Presid., Ryn", with the size marking "4'4" x 5'6"", and identifying the maker as the "Phila. Quartermaster Depot" at bottom. The inspector of the flag has added their initials "EF" to this label in black ink, in addition to a date in blue ink. The month and day of this date are indistinct, but the year "'61" can be clearly discerned. This fifty-star variant of the Presidential Flag was adopted by executive order on Feb. 5, 1960 to honor the entry of Hawaii into the union, to become effective July 4th of that year. The Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot was re-designated the Defense Personnel Support Center in 1965, and flags manufactured there after that date were so marked. These possible dates of manufacture, coupled with the inspector's date of 1961, indicate that this flag could only have been manufactured and delivered to the White House during the Kennedy administration. The Presidential Flag displayed in the Oval Office is known to have been sold at auction in 2013. We surmise that the flag presented here may have been displayed in the White House Cabinet Room, the Press Briefing Room, at Camp David, or during ceremonial events. The flag originates from the estate of Cmdr. Ronald L. Jackson (1928-1990). Jackson, a Navy officer, was tasked with supervising the planning and implementation of reciprocal state dinners, the operation of the White House Mess and food service at Camp David and aboard Air Force One, and traveled everywhere with Presidents Johnson through George H. Bush. Jackson was named to his position through a naval appointment, which was intended to expire after a two-year tour. However, by the end of this period, President Lyndon Johnson, a fellow former navy officer, was so pleased with Jackson's performance that he personally ordered that the job classification be changed from a military to a civilian position, so that Jackson could continue to serve the president indefinitely. It is likely that Jackson received this flag from Johnson after he commissioned his own set of presidential flags upon assuming the presidency, as is standard practice. Although the flags of former presidents are intended to be turned over to the National Archives, a small number have instead been given as gifts to individuals close to the president and remain in private hands. The flag is in fine condition. In the Nov. 23, 2013 Heritage sale, an identical presidential flag and an American flag from Kennedy's White House which had been given to secretary Evelyn Lincoln achieved a price of $425,000. A truly historical and extraordinarily rare American flag, which would be the centerpiece of any Presidential collection. Also present is an I.S.P., 12 ¼" x 8 ¾" (sight) color, a view of the White House lawn during an event, likely the annual Easter Egg Roll. The photo is signed at the bottom by President LYNDON B. JOHNSON (1908-1973) and First Lady LADY BIRD JOHNSON (1912-2007), who adds a dedication to Commander Ronald L. Jackson in black ink. Condition just good, provided as a testament to the close relations between the Johnsons and Commander Jackson. SOLD WITH: A set of five period "whiteprint" facsimile manufacturer's plans, the first depicting the standard of the President of the United States, 34 1/2" x 22 1/2", issued by the Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army at Alexandria, printed by the Government Printing Office and dated July 20, 1967. The plan depicts the presidential standard as described above at 1/4 scale, and lists dimensions for all known iterations of the flag, including the example described above and the automobile flag offered elsewhere in this sale. The remaining four plans, each 17 1/4" x 11", also drafted by the Institute of Heraldry and dated July 20, 1967, depict the various components of the staff to be used with the Presidential Standard, with views of the ferrules, couplings, the eagle-shaped finial, and the overall staff itself. All show bumps and minor chips to the edges, else very good.

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February 19, 2019 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000