C.S.P.S. 125

Since 1887

The C.S.P.S.-American Flag,
circa 1892

by Joan Sedlacek

This flag was “found” wrapped in muslin on the third floor of the C.S.P.S. Hall.  It is a two-sided six-foot square flag with metal fringe. It was made before flag laws dictated the dimensions, colors, star arrangement and attaching the American flag to another.  Both flags are silk and in a fragile condition. 
They have been cleaned and stabilized by a professional flag restorer.

The flags are encased in silk with zigzag stitching and attached to material between the two flags.  This provides a distribution of the weight beyond where it hangs from the pole.  The flags were returned to their original positions, back to back, hanging from a single pole.  They are rolled and stored in acid-free paper in a cardboard box.  We are seeking funding for a more preservation-friendly container for these historic flags.

us flag circa 1892

 

The American side of the flag has 44 stars, dating it between when Wyoming was admitted to the United States in 1890 and Utah's admission in 1896.

 

CSPS-side 1892 flag

One side of the flag reads
RAD "Čech" Čis.12. Č.S.P.S. Založen dne. 30. Září, 1876
St. Paul, Minn.
(Lodge Czech No. 12, C.S.P.S. Established 30 September, 1876
St. Paul, MN). 

“Jewels" are set in each of the C.S.P.S. letters.  The clasped hands are a symbol of the fraternalism of the lodge.

Our Website histories

Early "Bohemian" immigration | Establishing St. Paul's C.S.P.S.  | CSPS Hall's chronology |
Histories from the C.S.P.S. Centennial 1987 | Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota chronology |
History from the Sokol centennial 1982 | Immigrant philosophical convergence | Circa 1892 flag