[idogdou]

Hi, I work in a small museum where a large 46 star flag was recently put on display. This flag was flown in honor of a visit to our town by President Theodore Roosevelt on May 26, 1903. The odd thing is that the 46th state (Oklahoma ) was added in Late 1907, with the 46 star flag being officially adopted on July 4, 1908.
How is it that I have photos of many 46 star flags being flown in 1903 when there were not 45 states until over 4 years later?
In Googling the subject I see that the ASME (go to asme.org and search for "1903 flag riddle") has a similar issue in that a 46 star flag is shown in a 1903 photo.
Thanks,
idogdou
(I Depend On GOD, DO U?)

[Robin Hickman]

Hello, "idogdou".

In regards to your Museum's 46 Star Flag, I suggest that you take a few photos of it and post them here. There are a LOT of people who like to look at "OLD" Flags around here.

As far as the "history" of the Museum's Flag, I'm NOW going to go TOO far out on a TOO slim limb and suggest that there is the possibilty the Museum's "provenance" is faulty on the presumed date of May 26, 1903.

While it is no doubt true that TR did visit your town on that date, BUT... was that the ONLY time he visited there? What might have been missed is that EX-President Roosevelt might have ALSO visited there AFTER he left office in March, 1909. Maybe TR came through town in 1912 when he was the Presidential CANDIDATE of the "Bull Moose" Party? A visit by a Presidential candidate or an ex-President is sometimes a big thing, BUT it is NEVER as BIG (or as well-remembered) as a visit by THE President of the United States.

Perhaps you can provide a little more "background" or few more "facts" about your museum's flag ???


As for the ASME's "1903" photo showing the two 46 Star Flags:

While everone was busy counting and recounting the 46 Stars on both Flags, apparently, nobody bothered to count the TWELVE Stripes !!!


ASME-HomemadeFlags(1903).jpg

ASME Web Page : http://www.asme.org/Communities/History/ASMEHistory/1903_Council_Meeting_Photo.cfm

In all likelihood, both Flags were hand-made by the same patriotic, but mathematically-challenged, person.

Or maybe the "flagmaker" hailed from the Oklahoma Territory and they were making their "early" version of a 12 Stripe OKLAHOMA SOONER Flag ?!?!?!?!?

Or maybe there are MUCH better answers "out there"?

Actually, IF memory serves me correctly, I think the first real "official" attempt at "codifying" and "standardizing" the U.S. Flag did NOT happen until 1912 when President Taft issued an "Executive Order" regarding the situation.

Robin Hickman

[pathfind3r]

All I could say is "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America."