[csaanv]

Josey,
I agree and Robin. Hold on to this flag! Because of it's uniqueness it can only go up in value.

[Robin Hickman]

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Hello, Again, Josey !


QUOTE : "You almost have to chuckle at the fact that the flag company felt the need to put a U.S. stamp on the American flag to identify it. I can see the need for it on state flags and others though."

I don't know how the Vincent J. Spelman & Co. stacked or stored their Flags. Maybe the only thing that was showing on the storage shelves was the headers of the Flags?


Why hold on to the Vincent J. Spelman U.S. Flag?


QUOTE : "Thanks for that info. I did do a web search, however it doesn't turn up very much."

I would venture a guess that because there wasn't very much turned up in your web search, THAT would be a very important reason to hold on to the flag!

QUOTE : "It would be very cool if did turn out to be a rare flag but I am not going to hold my breath."

I'm not recommending that you hold your breath, just hold on to that Flag !!!


Josey, do you remember where & when you acquired that Flag? Do you remember who you got it from? Was there any kind of a "back story" or "history" associated with that Flag? Those pieces of information might be important pieces to your Flag's puzzle.

What are some of the pieces of the puzzle that we already have?

For instance, since it's a 48 Star Flag we know that 48 Star Flags were the "official" Flags of the U.S. from July 4th, 1912 to July 3rd, 1959. Depending on where & when and from whom you got that Flag, chances are that it was made before 1959.

Since there doesn't seem to be very much info on the internet about the Vincent J. Spelman & Co, chances are it's no longer in business. Well, when WAS it in business? If we can find that out, then maybe we can further narrow down when the Flag was made.

We know that Vincent J. Spelman received at least two (2) U.S. Patents : #2130603 (Ship's Ventilator) on September 20, 1938, and #2163072 (Hatch Tent) on June 20, 1939. Incidentally, BOTH of those inventions require the use of some kind of fabric that will stand up to the rigors of salty sea air.

By Googling "Vincent J. Spelman", we were able to find at least two shipping company flags that carried a manufacturer's label marked "Vincent J. Spelman & Co.". So we know that the company not only made flags, they made maritime or nautical flags that had to be able to stand up to salty sea air and some harsh weather conditions out at sea.

I would think that there would have to be SOME kind of written record SOMEWHERE of Vincent J. Spelman and his eponymous company, Vincent J. Spelman & Company.

Perhaps somewhere on the East Coast there are some maritime museums that have some papers in their possession that might shed some light on this mystery?

Maybe there are some members of the North American Vexillological Association (N.A.V.A.) who might have some knowledge of the man, his company, and the flags they made???


Well..... Whatever..... HOLD ON TO THAT FLAG !!!


Robin
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[Josey]

Well..... Whatever..... HOLD ON TO THAT FLAG !!!

Hold on to this flag! Because of it's uniqueness it can only go up in value.

Okay ! I guess it really doesn't take up that much space in one of the foot lockers. It will be interesting to see what I can turn up on the history and manufacture of this flag.

I am used to researching veterans from the Civil War through WW2 utilizing the National Archives in Wash. D.C. So, I may start there and see what I can find out about the Vincent J. Spelman Co.

Josey

[vela]

I have a Vincent J. Spelman flag too but it is not a stars and stripes flag, it's the eagle with the 13 arrows in one foot and the olive branch in the other. Did you have any luck finding info about him? I am coming up pretty empty....

[Robin Hickman]

. .
Hello, vela !

Welcome to the USA-Flag-Site Forums !


QUOTE : "I have a Vincent J. Spelman flag too but it is not a stars and stripes flag, it's the eagle with the 13 arrows in one foot and the olive branch in the other. Did you have any luck finding info about him? I am coming up pretty empty...."


To make it easier for us to help you, could you start a new thread about your flag in the "Other Flags" Forum. That way it will be a LOT easier to find when it has its own thread!

Also, do you have any pictures of your Flag? One good one of the entire Flag, plus two or three "close-ups" of some of the details, such as the identifying label or stamp, sewing stitches, hem-work, etc.

Believe me, that will be a BIG help for us and for you !


Looking forward to hearing back from you !!!


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[Vexman]

Spelman was a flag company that started in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. They went out of business in the early 1980s, although they had stopped making flags for many years before that. NylonWave is their version of a cotton-nylon blend fiber that was used briefly for flag bunting, approximately 1948 or so to about 1958 or so (exact dating is uncertain). The factors that make a flag rare are the known numbers of a specific type, its condition, its proven history, and, not least, its desirability to collectors. The only way to prove such is to see what it gets at an auction. See my web pages at Dave Martucci's Flag Pages