[Rick Warman]

I have just been given a flag by my Father that we catrace back at least i00 years, It has a blue stripe in the middle with 13 Stars on it that are in a straight row. then on each side of the Blue stripe there is a Whte stripe and finally on the upper and lower edge there is a red stripe it is made of a musilin type material and looks as if it has some bullet holes through it. Any ideas whence it comes? Or do I have to take it to the Chicago historical society.

[NAVA1974]

Hi,

Your "flag" is a piece of patriotic bunting probably made after the 1923 Flag Code prohibited the use of flags for decoration. They show up on eBay every once and a while. The fact that they are usually 3x5 feet means that most people think they are some sort of rare official flag.
Nick

[Peter Ansoff]

Hi, Rick,

To elaborate on Nick's comment: You can buy "flags" like this from flag dealers; they're called "half fan flats." Some have a row of stars in the central blue band, and some do not. They are finished like flags, with headers and grommets, but they're purely for decoration.

Peter Ansoff

[Rick Warman]

Here are some pictures

[NAVA1974]

Rick,
Thanks for the photos. The label used to read "Annin" until it faded out. Annin is still in business and if you go to their web site you can see that they still manufacture and sell these five striped pieces of bunting: Annin & Company Decorations as Peter mentioned. Obviously your example is much older. The steel, zinc galvanized grommets indicates to me that it was made during WWII at the latest, but possibly even as early as WW I.
Nick