13-Star Bennington "76" Parade Flag, Early 20th Century

Presented here is a striking 20th century 13-star Bennington “76” style parade flag, modeled after the historic example preserved at the Bennington Museum in Vermont. This commemorative flag displays the classic elements associated with the celebrated Bennington design: a deep blue canton with the large white numerals “76,” symbolizing the birth of the nation, surmounted by an arc of thirteen seven-pointed stars representing the thirteen original colonies, turned states. The field is composed of thirteen alternating stripes in the rare Revolutionary-era heraldic order, beginning with white and alternating with red, rather than the red-first pattern adopted in later American flags. This example was produced in the early to mid 20th century, most likely for patriotic display in parades or commemorative observances, such as the nationwide celebrations for the 1932 Bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. While inspired by the famous flag long associated with the Battle of Bennington, sc