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Old Polish Flag


posts: 14

polskatageThreads: 1
Posts: 1
Joined: Dec 15, 10 ♂ 		Edited by: polskatage  Dec 15, 10, 02:21    #1
Hello to all. Very nice I find a great place to post to Polish people. I love history especially Polish history. I have found very old flag in my house. I think it is from 1850's ? Does anyone know what kind of flag this is. It has been in our family for many years. Any help would be great. Thank you .
SeanBMThreads: 41
Posts: 8,727
Joined: Mar 10, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: SeanBM  Dec 15, 10, 09:33    #2
Hello polskatage,

And welcome to the Polish forums.

Perhaps you could post a photo looking directly at the flag, for more detail?

What makes you think it comes from 1850s?

One detail that I have never seen before is that the eagle is facing right (looking at his left wing).


Syrena_04:
I remember hearing that the eagle in the Oval Office at the White House faces right in times of peace and left in times of war (or is it the other way around).

From this thread:
Polish eagle - which way the head faces?

I don't know about that but there could be something in it?
Mr GrunwaldThreads: 34
Posts: 2,358
Joined: Dec 16, 08 ♂ 		 Dec 15, 10, 09:41    #3
polskatage:
I think it is from 1850's ?

If you are right, then it's probably an insurgent flag.

SeanBM:
One detail that I have never seen before is that the eagle is facing right (looking at his left wing).

That is strange

SeanBM:
What makes you think it comes from 1850s?

Certain material hold themselves only for a certain time. If it was older and not taken care of by "professionals" it would look a lot worse. As this person haven't told us if his family are experts at keeping flags in good quality I can only assume that it must be very recent (just as he did)

and any Polish flag after 1918 would look more like the official flags of Poland. Anythign else before 1918 may be very different as the symbol of Poland wasn't defined to a very specific white eagle. People generally agreed that their symbol is an white eagle. But how it looked?

Also I guess this must be from the province of western Poland as it has no Lithuanian or Ukrainian symbols on it. Only the eagle.
It may happen that it's location may up close to Poznan as the eagle on the herald of Poznan faces right-wards.
EchoTheCatThreads: 2
Posts: 183
Joined: Jan 20, 10 ♀ 		 Dec 15, 10, 13:03    #4
SeanBM:
One detail that I have never seen before is that the eagle is facing right (looking at his left wing).

It depended on situation and wars. The direction was changed many times, for example during the war or uprising against eastern country the head was facing right.
http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plik:Sztandar_powstanczy_Dab rowka_Wielka_1919.jpg&filetimestamp=20080317150447

So Polskatage, I suggest to find something about Polish uprisings against Russia. And remember It can be difficult because this flag looks very "unofficial" and could be made at home and had nothing to do with official, military flags from that times.

Good luck :)
ZedThreads: -
Posts: 304
Joined: May 25, 10 ♂ 		 Dec 16, 10, 16:52    #5
I think it's facing left actually. But a better picture would help to clarify.
krakusThreads: -
Posts: 3
Joined: Oct 12, 10 ♂ 		 Dec 16, 10, 16:59    #6
Maybe i'm missing something but i can't see the crown over the eagles head.

If so there's no way this flag is polish.
WroclawThreads: 77
Posts: 7,404
Joined: Apr 1, 06  Pictures: 3 ♂ [Moderator] 		 Dec 16, 10, 17:11    #7
this may help: http://www.fotw.net/flags/pl.html
krakowiakThreads: 4
Posts: 131
Joined: Jul 30, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: krakowiak  Dec 16, 10, 17:37    #8
It heads right up. With crown.

Head detail
Head detail
polskatageThreads: 1
Posts: 1
Joined: Dec 15, 10 ♂ 		Edited by: polskatage  Dec 17, 10, 04:55    #9
Hello and thank you all for your help and information. This is the reverse side of the flag. The Eagle is hand sown to the flag.
nottThreads: 6
Posts: 1,271
Joined: Jun 2, 10 ♂ 		 Dec 17, 10, 21:10    #10
polskatage:
This is the reverse side of the flag. The Eagle is hand sown to the flag.


So this is the right side. The Polish Eagle faces right, as most heraldic beasts do. The heraldic right is the right side of the person standing behind the shield with the coats of arms, so it's the beast's right side too.

Hand sewn, family tradition... I doubt anybody outside of your family would be able to say anything particular about this very flag, but I know you should be proud of it. Very proud. At the very least it was something ready to hang at your house after the victory, but it might've been an actual banner of an insurgents' unit. Beats my grandfather's sabre.
SokratesThreads: 19
Posts: 4,464
Joined: Jan 19, 09 ♂ [Suspended] 		 Dec 18, 10, 00:09    #11
Yawn, its a flag from Greater Poland uprising, if memory serves its in Wroc³aws arsenal so no its not his "family flag"
Mr GrunwaldThreads: 34
Posts: 2,358
Joined: Dec 16, 08 ♂ 		 Dec 21, 10, 03:24    #12
Sokrates:
Yawn, its a flag from Greater Poland uprising, if memory serves its in Wroc³aws arsenal so no its not his "family flag"

If your right, then... I KNEW IT!! (somewhere in that location! ;p)
isthatu2Threads: 13
Posts: 5,225
Joined: Apr 3, 08 ♂ 		 Dec 21, 10, 14:51    #13
Thats got to be a new level of internet patheticness if your right......or the crapest attempt to sell a non existent product ever.....
MurawskiThreads: -
Posts: 2
Joined: Mar 7, 12 ♂ 		Edited by: Murawski  Mar 7, 12, 17:19    #14
Was this ever resolved?
I have the same flag, but in much worse condition. I will try to get a picture.
I assume the background was originally red, but has faded to the same color in this flag pictured in this article. Also, the brown details on my flag are all but faded away, barely even to be seen. I haven't lookd at this flag in a very long time as I am almost afraid to touch it. It is very fragile.

I was always curious of its origin and coudl never find any images of it on any Polish sites.
My question:
Is this a real flag or home made? The flag has the Eagle sewn on it and it has the canvas? white strip along the edge where the two groumets are.

I see that you guys think it is form the Polish Uprising... the one in the 1800's or 1900's?
Does it have any value? Should I donate it to a museum? etc...
I am technically 2 generation American. My grandfather came over. I do not believe thsi flag to be ours or brought by my family, but rather aquired by my father from another Pole from the old neighborhood.

Thanks,
Dan


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