Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "1893 Needlepoint Bookmark" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Canvas.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 37c Needlepoint Bookmark PSA stamp issued April 3, 2003.

This art depicts the top portion of a brightly colored silk bookmark from 1893. Delicately woven as a unique souvenir of the World's Columbian Exposition held that year in Chicago, the bookmark features as its centerpiece a detailed rendering of a proudly waving American flag. Above the flag flies a slender blue banner inscribed with the familiar phrase "E Pluribus Unum," which in Latin means "Out of Many, One." Another banner, inscribed with the title "The Star-Spangled Banner," is wrapped around the flagstaff. Although not pictured on the stamp, the remainder of the bookmark contains the words and music to the beloved U.S. national anthem. During the War of 1812, Mary Young Pickersgill sewed a huge American flag to show her support for the war effort. Over 30 feet high and 42 feet long, it was soon flown over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. On September 14, 1814, inspired by the majestic sight of this gigantic flag still flying over the fort at dawn after a brutal British bombardment, lawyer Francis Scott Key penned the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner," which became the national anthem in 1931. The anthem's melody, however, has somewhat less exalted roots: it was taken from "To Anacreon in Heaven," a drinking song of London's Anacreontic Society written by British composer John Stafford Smith.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 18 x 15.5 in.
Unframed.
(B17105)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.

18 x 15.5 in