Who invented the flag fold?

[Cvillegas87]

I'm currently in the HONOR Guard and we were ask the question of who invented the flag fold? We have tried looking it up and keep coming to a dead end. We have concluded that no one particular person did, but I want to make sure there is no hidden answer. Thanks

[Peter Ansoff]

Greetings, Cvillegas87 -- welcome to the forum!

This is a very good question. The flag-folding method seems to have originated in the US Army around the turn of the 20th century. There was a movement at the time to formalize and standardize the procedures for raising and lowering the flag, and the folding method was probably instituted as part of this. The earliest printed reference to it that I can recall was in a 1930s-era book, again in an Army context.

My guess is that the original reason for the folding method was practical. It allows a small group of soldiers (a typical color party was 4) to fold a large flag, while keeping it taut so that it doesn't touch the ground. Also, it ends up with the two corner grommets together and on the outside of the package, so that the flag can be attached to the halyards and raised again without unfolding it. The tricorn shape and its similarity to the hats worn by Washington's army were probably a lucky coincidence.

Peter Ansoff