Saturday, May 28, 2011

Long May She Wave

A Pair of Cast Iron Garden Urns Filled with Flags Greet You.
Love May She Wave.


French Wire Plant Stand with  13  Flag Display.


    In honor of  Memorial Day and the holiday weekend , the history of our "Star -Spangled- Banner." The liberty that the Continental Congress afforded flag makers  was partly due to the fact that a national flag was not considered as important as the regimental colors of the Military or the Great Seal of the republic. The flag use was limited primary to military holdings and navel vessels. Continental newspapers did not ever bother to report passage of the flag resolution until 1777.
   How the members of the Congress arrived at a Star -Spangled-Banner of red, white and blue is unknown,but one can see the influence of regimental flags in the design. A blue canton bearing thirteen stars graced  both the flags of New Hampshire's Green Mountain Boys and the Continental Rhode Island Regiment. Boston's radical revolutionary group, the Sons of Liberty, had earlier adopted a red and white stripped flag or rebellion banner. The stripes re-appear in the Continental Colors, also known as the Grand Union Flag, that bore a design of thirteen stripes, alternately red and white, with a blue field in the upper-left-hand corner, bearing the red cross of St.George of England, with the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland. The Continental Colors remained in general use throughout the colonies  from 1775 until the flag resolution of 1777.The British crosses were dropped to avoid suggestion that the colonies would reconcile with the Crown.



An Old Doll Dress Costume.

Button Collection.

   Although romantic lore often credits a Philadelphia seamstress named Betsy Ross with making the first Stars and Stripes , and Francis Hopkinson  of New Jersey, a signer of the Decoration of Independence,as the creator. Hopkinson was also involved in the design of the Great Seal of the United States. Records show that in 1780, Hopkinson, billed the Continental Congress twenty four dollars for his part in the flag design. Congress refused to pay on the grounds that he had not been the only one to work on the project and he was already being paid a salary.
     Even after the Revolution was won,  Congress paid little attention to the nations offiical banner. When Kentucky and Vermont were admitted to the Union in 1794, it was agreed to represent them on the flag by expanding the number of starts and stripes to fifteen.This fifteen star  version, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the," Star- Spangled-Banner", after witnessing British warship's, steadly bombard Fort McHenry one night ,during the War of 1812. On the back of an envelope, Key scribbled his awe seeing, the Star- Spangled-Banner ,through the Rockets-Red Glare and by the Dawns Early Light. In 1816 the poem was turned into a song.





Night View.

     By 1818,the plan to represent each state with it's own stars and stripes proved unwieldy. With five new states admitted into the Union that year alone,it was clear that the broad stripes would soon become pin stripes. Congress decreed that the flag  go back to thirteen stripes ,alternating red and white, symbolizing the original thirteen colonies, with each state represented by a single star. Each star would be added on the Fourth of July,following the date of admission to the Union. Like the Nation,the flag was growing and ever changing.
   The average citizen continued to view the Nations Flag as primarily a Military Standard, until the Civil War fostered a flag cult among those who saught to preserve the Union. The Stars and Stripes became a rallying symbol, soon  after seccionist  troops bombed Fort Sumter in 1861.The Confederate Secretary of War predicted that the Confederate Flag would fly over the dome of the Old capital in Washington,outraged Northerners reacted by raising the Star Spangled Banner all over town.One account was that Flags floated from the roofs of houses, were flung in the breeze from the Chamber of Congress and the Board of Trade. Spanned the surging streets, decorated the private parlors, glorified the school rooms, festooned the church walls and pulpit and just blossomed every where.


Even the Chickens got into the spirit.

My Mother made this for me, she was in her 70's and took a basket making class.




    Reverence for the flag intensified into a cult religion with the sight of the- Stars and Stripes accompanying men going to war and draping the coffins of fallen soldiers. Yankee mothers even taught their daughters to make small flags-sometimes called Bible flags, because they were tucked into the family Bible.
    The Cult of the flag continued after the civil war ended and gained strength with the celebration of American's as one nation again in 1876.
   In 1892-Francis Bellamy wrote ,"The Pledge of allegiance" for a popular magazine called, The Youth's Companion of America.Congress officially recognized the Pledge in 1943. By 189's, the flag could be seen on everything from pin cushions and pillow cases to pickled pork. There was no official flag guide line- so flag makers were free to follow there fancy-and did!During the first quarter of the 20th century, congress approved a code of flag etiquette and a series of detailed design standards. Today the official flag adheres to strict guidelines and is uniform in appearance and presentation.


Section of an old crazy quilt I found one day antique shopping.
Paper Dolls.


I bring this out every year for the 4th of  July and Memorial Day.



   1777- 13 stars-Delaware,Penn.,New Jersey, Georgia,Conn.,Mass.,Maryland,South Carolina, New Hamp.,Virginia, New York, North Carolina,Rhode Island.
   1795- 15 stars- Vermont,Kentucky
   1818-20 stars- Tenn.,Ohio,Louisiana,Indiana, Mississippi
   1819- 21 stars- Illinois
   1820- 23 stars- Alabama,Maine
   1822- 24 stars- Missouri
   1836- 25 stars-Arkansas
   1837- 26 stars- Michigan
   1845-27 stars- Florida
   1846- 28 stars- Texas
   1847- 29 stars- Iowa
   1848-30 stars- Wisconsin
   1851-31 stars-  California
   1858- 32 stars- Minn.
   1859-33 stars- Oregon
   1861- 34 stars- Kansas
   1863- 35 stars- West Virginia
   1865- 36 stars- Nevada
   1867 - 37 stars- Nebraska
   1877-38 stars- Colorado
   1890-43 stars- North Dakota,South Dakota,Montana, Washington, Idaho
   1891- 44 stars- Wyoming
   1896- 45 stars- Utah
   1908- 46 stars- Oklahoma
   1912-48 stars- New Mexico, Arizona
   1960- 50 stars- Hawaii


This old doll is still in her original box.


A plaster statue from a carnival.


     I would love to share with you the flags and decorations that I have at, My Old Historic House. I put them up at night, so when, dawns early light comes, there they are. I also take them down a few minutes after memorial day, so they will remain special. I have a spot light for the big flag. I bought the big flag at a local yard sale. I am sure it was some poor soles flag from the Military. I don't mind, as that is what memorial day is all about. Who ever it belongs too, be proud as it is on proper display. I do the same things for the Fourth of July.You will not believe the number of tourist that come to my little town and stop to take a picture of the old house with it's flag decorations. I love to watch them. Some get out of the car, others hang out the window. I wish you all could come by and visit. Take a tour, have a glass of ice tea, set on the porches. I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss. I hope all of you, where ever you are, have a safe, happy, fun and wonderful Memorial Day weekend. God Bless American and  our flag, Long may She Wave.

My Red,White and Blue Kitchen.
The Roses are in full bloom for the festivity.



Long My She Wave!!
Another night time view.

Sissy Dog sends  big wet kisses for a Happy Memorial Day Wish !!!!!!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

MOO - over the Cow Creamers!






English Kent 19th century













French Faince



Transferware
Germany Meissen




 Creamers in the shape of a cow ,with an opening or lid on its back for filling, known as,"cow creamers",originated in Holland, but became very popular in England, first with Dutch Imports,then from about 1740 on, from the Staffordshire factories. What could be more appropriate for the dispensing  of milk or cream at the table,than a cow?
    The first cow creamers were made of pewter or silver and they were imported from Holland ,in the early 18th century. Staffordshire factories in England began making cow creamers from ceramics around 1750. They have been made ever since, by other ceramic companies  from  around the world as well.. German cows have more details, but English cows  have more character. I often find English cows with smiles on there face and big eyes with long eye lashes. If you have ever seen a real cow, up close, they have beautiful eyes and long eye lashes. I think that is why cows have always been linked to romance in many ways. Silly???
  
Transferware,England,18th century





German Goebel

   Companies that made and still make cows are: Holland and the Delft  company. Germany and the Meissen company. England , Pratt  and  the Staffordshire companies.Also Swansea makes English transferware  cows. Rockingham and Bennington are both fine American companies that continue to make cows.The Scott have produces sponge ware cows since 1810.The Johnson Brothers from America  have as well made cows. In France there is the Farince company and also Kent Potters in England. I am sure I have left out many.It is hard to list them all. Japan and China alone must have hundreds of ceramic companies that make cows. And the German most common company to make cows is the Goebel .They have made them for years and are still a major supplier today. There is a wonderful web site that you can go to, that has more cows on display than any other I have found. I think if you like and collect cow creamers, this would be a good place to visit.  www.craig@cow-creamers.net 












Scottish sponge ware

   I started collecting cow creamers about 8 years ago. I had a week end cottage in the country and I tried to decorate it with a country animal theme.The cow creamers were part of that effort. When I first started buying them I did not have a clue how I would display them. I just had them stuck here and there. One day I walked into an antique mall in St.Louis  and right inside the door was the English pine display rack. I am sure it was originally made for kitchen tools. I picked it up and hugged it and told my friend that was with me that God had made this, just for me! He said, and what for? ( I think he thought I might have flipped.) I said, you will see. Well, it was to hang my cow creamers from. When I sold the country cottage I sold a lot of the stuff I had collected




to decorate it with. But, I knew I wanted to move the cows to my new kitchen, So here they are. I hope you enjoy the cows as much as I have. I wish you could come by for a tour. I will leave the lights on and Sissy Dog will meet you with a jump and a kiss.I also, can not help myself. I have to share a few more pictures from the garden, as Spring continues here in Missouri. I can not help but feel lucky, as there has been so many bad storms and loss in the state of Missouri. But so far, the Lord has blessed and continued to keep me and Sissy Dog safe.For that I am so grateful and so sad for the others who have gone through so much and  some have lost everything. Please keep these people and Missouri in your thoughts and prayers.



 Limoge France




French Faince