by Warren D. Jorgensen

From a mountain on Iwo Jima to the surface of the moon, from exotic ports of call to the North and South poles, from atop Mount Everest to the rubble of the World Trade Center, Americans and the world have seen, flown and saluted U.S. flags made by Annin & Co. for nearly 160 years.

The world's largest and oldest flag company, Annin & Co. and its 500 employees produce literally miles of stripes and a multitude of stars that go into 15 million U.S. flags a year. All are made in the U.S.A.—at manufacturing plants in Verona, N.J. (pop. 13,533), South Boston, Va. (pop, 8,491), and Coshocton, Ohio (pop. 11,682).

"Patriotism demands that an American flag has to be made in America,” says Carter Beard, who with his cousin, Randy, represent the sixth generation to help run the business, based in Roseland, N.J. (pop. 5,298). "We hire the best workers, train them and give them the best machines, and from that we get the highest quality flag.”

The company's roots go back to 1820, when Alexander Annin opened a small flag-making shop on the New York City waterfront, where ships bound for the four corners of the world did so under Annin-made flags. Annin's sons, Edward and Benjamin, followed in their father's footsteps and in 1847 founded Annin & Co., moving to a large full-service factory on New York's Fifth Avenue. The company enjoyed success from the start, especially with its American flags.

Woven into American history

In many ways, the company's story is interwoven with the story of America itself.

In 1849, Annin-made American flags were flown at the inauguration of President Zachary Taylor, starting an inaugural tradition that has continued through the inauguration of President George W. Bush.

"We made the flag that draped Abraham Lincoln's coffin (in 1865), something we are especially proud of,” Beard says.

By the close of the 19th century, regard for the Annins' product had spread, and the company's flags were hoisted at foreign expositions, world's fairs and at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883.

Exploration and involvement in world affairs consumed America during the 20th century, and Annin was there. The company's flags were planted as symbols of success during Commander Robert E. Peary's expedition to the North Pole in 1909, Admiral Richard E. Byrd's expedition to the South Pole in 1930 and the National Geographic expedition to Mount Everest in 1963. It was an Annin-made flag that Marines raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945, memorialized in a classic Associated Press photograph.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and "Buzz” Aldrin stepped out from the Lunar Module and planted an Annin-made U.S. flag on the moon's surface, where it remains today. "We were a supplier to NASA . . . We officially submitted flags to NASA for the moon missions, and ours was picked,” says Beard, who was age 4 at the time.

The world's largest American flag—104 feet by 235 feet—was made by Annin for the J.L. Hudson Co. in Detroit in 1949 and was retired in 1976 to the Smithsonian Institution. It was Annin artist Newt Heisley who designed the POW/MIA flag, which was never copyrighted because the company decided the patriotic symbol belonged to all Americans.

Perhaps the nation's most recent memory of an Annin-made flag came after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, when firemen raced to a nearby marina and grabbed a ship's American flag to raise over the rubble of the World Trade Center. The photographed moment became the iconic image of that tragic day. "Everyone here was extremely proud that it was an Annin flag,” says Beard, his voice mixed with pride and regret. "It was an emotional sight to see that flag being raised.”

Flag maker to the world

Annin annually produces 30 million flags of all kinds. The company has made state flags that fly over every state Capitol in the nation, and appear in every parade where the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars or Boy Scouts participate. As the official flag maker to the United Nations, Annin manufactures each flag waving in front of the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

Despite technological advances, the Verona plant, built in 1916, remains the heart and soul of the company, where custom-made flags—American, state and any one of thousands of custom designs—are crafted by hand. There, seamstresses carefully sew stars and stripes, while highly trained embroiderers create meticulously detailed flag designs with foot-operated sewing machines. It's a slow learning curve, where training an embroiderer can take up to four years.

"I'm very proud of what we do here,” says Plant Manager Joe Vallone, as he watches workers fold a custom-made 30-by-60-foot American flag that took four workers 10 days to create. "There are machines that can do similar work,” he says, "but nothing like what you'll see when they're made by hand.”

Elisa Vaca, 61, of Bloomfield, N.J. (pop. 47,683), began working as a seamstress for Annin 35 years ago. Her pride and joy is a 60-by-90-foot American flag that often hangs from the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey. It is only displayed on special occasions and retracts into the bridge tower when not in use.

"I take my brother (to the bridge) to see it, and I tell him, ‘See, I made that,'” Vaca says. "It was so big, and up there it looked so small. I am very proud.”

Red, white and blue

While standard American flags are sold in volume through the large chain stores, Annin's continued success lies in its nationwide network of more than 2,000 mom-and-pop flag shops, such as The Flag Lady in Columbus, Ohio.

"My mother said that Annin made the best-looking, longest-lasting American flags,” says Lori Watson, 47, who runs the Ohio flag shop started by her mother more than 30 years ago. "We made the choice to only sell Annin flags, and we've never been sorry that we did. We swear by their quality.”

But perhaps the greatest reason for Annin's success and longevity is the American people themselves, says flag historian Whitney Smith, founder and director of The Flag Research Center in Winchester, Mass. (pop. 20,810)

"Unlike the countries they came from, Americans have no national, racial, religious or aristocratic identity,” Smith says. "They came to regard the flag as embodying the symbolism of the country and its unity. It is the thread of our national life, and Annin has been there longer than anyone else.”

Purchase Annin Flags Here

Warren D. Jorgensen is a freelance writer in Tarrytown, N.Y.

UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10

It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on
stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be
displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
(b) Manner of hoisting

The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
(c) Inclement weather

The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all
weather flag is displayed.
(d) Particular days of display

The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year's Day, January 1;
Inauguration Day, January 20; Lincoln's Birthday, February 12; Washington's Birthday, third
Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother's Day, second Sunday in May;
Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last
Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in
September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October;
Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in
November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the
President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State
holidays.
(e) Display on or near administration building of public institutions

The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public
institution.
(f) Display in or near polling places

The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
(g) Display in or near schoolhouses

The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided
in subsection (i) of this section.
(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a
railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly
to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.
(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the
flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval
chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services
for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any
other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or
honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or
any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful
the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations
in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal
prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the
United Nations.
(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a
wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in
front of the staff of the other flag.
(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of
the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped
and displayed from staffs.
(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same
halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the
flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and
lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to
the United States flag's right.
(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs
of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids
the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an
angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be
placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag
should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be
uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a
window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.
(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically
with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.
(k) When used on a speaker's platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above
and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag
of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance
of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces
the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or
speaker or to the right of the audience.
(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or
monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.
(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and
then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is
lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon
only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at
half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the
Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the
event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of
that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at
half-staff. The flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from the death of the President or a
former President; ten days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a
retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a
Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of
a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member
of Congress. As used in this subsection -
(1) the term 'half-staff' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance
between the top and bottom of the staff;
(2) the term 'executive or military department' means any agency listed under sections
101 and 102 of title 5; and
(3) the term 'Member of Congress' means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or
the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
(n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.
(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main
entrance, it should be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observer's left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended
vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances
are to the east and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress
in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or
merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be
festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue,
white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red
below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and
for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any
mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering
anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag
patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of
patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living
thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the
heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should
be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

§185. Transferred

§1. Flag; stripes and stars on

The Department of State. The Department of the Treasury. The Department of Defense. The
Department of Justice. The Department of the Interior. The Department of Agriculture. The
Department of Commerce. The Department of Labor. The Department of Health and Human
Services. The Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Department of Transportation. The Department of Energy. The Department of Education. The Department of Veterans Affairs.

(1) To prepare, and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary one title at a time, a complete
compilation, restatement, and revision of the general and permanent laws of the United States
which conforms to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original
enactments, with such amendments and corrections as will remove ambiguities, contradictions,
and other imperfections both of substance and of form, separately stated, with a view to the
enactment of each title as positive law.
(2) To examine periodically all of the public laws enacted by the Congress and submit to the
Committee on the Judiciary recommendations for the repeal of obsolete, superfluous, and
superseded provisions contained therein.
(3) To prepare and publish periodically a new edition of the United States Code (including
those titles which are not yet enacted into positive law as well as those titles which have been
so enacted), with annual cumulative supplements reflecting newly enacted laws.
(4) To classify newly enacted provisions of law to their proper positions in the Code where
the titles involved have not yet been enacted into positive law.
(5) To prepare and submit periodically such revisions in the titles of the Code which have
been enacted into positive law as may be necessary to keep such titles current.
(6) To prepare and publish periodically new editions of the District of Columbia Code, with
annual cumulative supplements reflecting newly enacted laws, through publication of the fifth
annual cumulative supplement to the 1973 edition of such Code.
(7) To provide the Committee on the Judiciary with such advice and assistance as the
committee may request in carrying out its functions with respect to the revision and
codification of the Federal statutes.