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A website dedicated to the history, restoration, preservation and collecting
of antique American flags.
Who are the leading experts and dealers in flags?
Grace Rodgers Cooper – Noted flag and textile specialist who worked
at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Thought by some to
be the nation’s leading expert in early American flags. Wrote three
particularly good texts covering both the topic of flags and a separate
but closely related issue, the history and development of the sewing
machine. Now retired.
Whitney Smith, Ph.D. – Author of more than 30 books on flags. A
specialist in symbolism and design within flags of all nationalities,
and also the history of flags across the timeline of human existence.
Dr. Smith was the first person to coin the term “vexillollogy”,
which has become widely accepted as the term for the study of flags.
Today he runs a private company in Winchester, Massachusetts called The
Flag Research Center. At last we knew he charged an hourly rate for professional
advice. Contact information follows:
The Flag Research Center
c/o Whitney Smith, Ph.D.
P.O. Box 580
Wincester, MA 01890-0880
Star-Spangled Banner Project Team -- Paula Johnson & Marilyn Zoidis,
curators; Suzanne Thomassen-Krauss, chief conservator; Lonn Taylor, historian;
Ron Becker, project director. This is part of the administrative team
that is responsible for the Star Spangled Banner restoration project
at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Direct your questions to:
Melinda Machado, Public Relations Officer
Office of Public Relations
National Museum of American History
Washington, DC 20560-0623
(202) 633-3129
http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/2_home/fs2.html
Jeff Bridgman – The owner of Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques
is widely thought of as the leading dealer of early American flags in
the country, stocking at least 1,000 examples at any given time. We have
found that about 100 of these are usually available for viewing on his
website, www.jeffbridgman.com. While a bit pricey, Jeff seems to always
have the very best and the most extensive inventory of old American flags
available. He has flags in all price ranges and even has nice material
for beginners and gift-giving. His web site is a great resource for information
on early American Stars & Stripes, and he also stocks antique and
vintage Confederate flags, as well as British flags and patriotic American
folk art and patriotic quilts. Jeff is known to be a giver of free advice
and is a very active and fair buyer, often paying what a flag would bring
at public auction. So there is, in fact, a way to sell a flag quickly
and avoid the uncertainty and high commission typically paid if selling
at an auction house. Contact information follows:
Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques
Historic York County, Pennsylvania
No open shop. Exhibits at about 40 antique shows/year.
www.jeffbridgman.com
jrb_antiques@hotmail.com
(717) 502-1281
Howard Madaus – Past chief curator at the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, and a former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. Madaus is widely accepted
as today’s leading American and Confederate flag specialist within
the museum world. His particular specialty is in flags of the American
Civil War. He is known to posses one of the largest photographic collections
of antique American flags and runs a company called Old Glory Flag Consultants,
L.L.C., which evaluates and authenticates flags for a fee. Contact information
follows:
Old Glory Flag Consultants, L.L.C.
c/o Howard Michael Madaus
2303 Valley Road
Harrisburg, PA 17104-1433
Dr. Harold Langley – Noted early American flag expert who formerly
served as Curator of Naval History at the National Museum of American
History, Smithsonian Institution. Also the author of important publications.
Now retired.
Fonda Ghiardi Thomsen – Widely thought of as the leading preservationist
and conservator of early flags, also doing fabric and flag construction
analysis. Fonda owns a company called Textile Preservation Associates,
Inc. She formerly worked for the National Park Service in textile conservation.
Today she does work for both museums and private organizations. Some
view her as costly, but the best in her field. Contact information follows:
Textile Preservation Associates, Inc.
c/o Fonda Ghiardi Thomsen
P.O. Box 60
Keedysville, MD 21756
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