"Colour of Standard poles" Topic

OK I now have some VERY nice flags from Flag Dude but what colour where the poles?

Jules

Wood.

I've never seen one painted, either.

The collection of the Missouri State Museum contains more than 100 Union colors with poles. All are natural wood except for two that are painted black. These belonged to a single regiment and are probably presentation colors. Another color is actually mounted on a branch from which the bark has been peeled! Evidently a field expedient.

thanks

Jules

Jeffersonian, are those poles original as far as you know? I've seen originals that are dark brown, pretty much the same as rifle stocks. I don't know for sure. I'm sure someone else will confirm the colors of the poles. There must have been a standard U.S. color and then the states probably did what they wanted.

The original flag staffs carried by the 2d Wisconsin in the Cornfield at Antietam are natural wood, as are the few others I have seen. They are now dark brown due to age. These examples were not stained as far as I know, as evidenced by the wood being the same color where bullets have pierced them.

The ones they have at Tredegar are all natural wood as far as I can tell, including one that is just a tree branch.

FireZouave, all the poles are original. After the Civil War the colors were displayed in the state armory hanging from their poles. At a later date the colors were rolled around their poles and stored. In the 1920s the rolled flags, still on their poles, were placed upright in specially-made cases in the new state capital building. They remained there until the 1980s when funds were available to begin their restoration. As a curator at the museum I assisted in removing many of the colors and unfurling them for the first time in at least a hundred years. To pack them for transportation to the conservator we removed the colors from their poles, carefully saving all the original tacks or nails. All were attached by a sleeve which was slipped over the pole and attached with tacks, very similar to modern carpet tacks, or in some cases larger brass-headed tacks. The majority of the poles were not dark brown, but a medium shade.

Jeffersonian, thanks for the information. That's very interesting. I've seen reenactors use poles with brass loops at the top and bottom of the fly. Wonder how correct that is?

FireZouave, I've never seen any original staffs with metal loops. Several colors in our museum collection were originally made with cloth tabs to tie around a flag staff, but at some point during their service the tabs were cut off (or torn off from use) and the flags were doubled back to form a sleeve for a more secure attachment. All government-issued colors were made with sleeves for attachment.

Painted wood flagpoles might be OK for display and rarely handled. Varnished natural wood would be preferred for poles handled a lot and out in the elements! Paints back in the day were not as durable to constant wear as modern ones are!