{"id":959,"date":"2014-03-06T13:04:30","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T18:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=959"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:50:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:50:15","slug":"earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/","title":{"rendered":"Earliest flags to wave on film"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The recent Academy Awards focused everyone\u2019s attention on the movies. With the Oscars having been handed out, cast your mind backwards well more than a century to answer a question, \u201cWhat was the first film to show a flag?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Golden<\/a>
Golden Jubilee poster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the answer, go to the website of the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov<\/a>) and do some searching. A likely nominee is a film shot on Jan. 24, 1898, in San Francisco. The occasion was the opening<\/a> of the Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years since the discovery of gold in California. Frederick Blechnynden was the man behind the camera, and the movie was copyrighted by Thomas Edison, one of the fathers of cinema.<\/p>\n

A San Diego newspaper noted that, during the jubilee, \u201cSan Francisco appeared to be afloat with flags and bunting\u2026.Across all streets\u2026are stretched at frequent intervals rows of many-colored flags. There are\u2026waving stars and stripes, California bears on white [back]ground and the flags of all nations displayed from every store and commercial building.\u201d
\n<\/p>\n

\"Flag<\/a>
Flag of California<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bear on white, of course, was the California state flag<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"An
An early photo of Native Daughters under several flags.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two segments of the Edison movie highlight not only flags, but also two groups not often seen in early motion pictures: women and minorities. One segment, titled \u201cNative Daughters\u201d and lasting only 30 seconds shows mounted women carrying a flag.<\/p>\n

The Native Daughters of the Golden West were members of an organization formed in 1886 for women born in the Golden State. It is still in existence. The club\u2019s \u201cfounding principles,\u201d according to its official history, include \u201cDevotion to the Flag of our Country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also taking part in the jubilee were Chinese and Japanese residents, and the former contingent appears in another part of the Edison film, titled \u201cParade of Chinese.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Library of Congress describes the film as showing \u201ca procession of the resident Chinese of San Francisco, carrying banners, flags, etc. They are followed by an immense float drawn by four white horses. In the background is seen a beautiful arch, while across the street are hung numerous flags, which wave in the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"1898<\/a>
1898 film cels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The newspaper in Fresno credited the Chinese with \u201ca striking float, attended by gorgeously attired men on foot\u2026and a band which rendered oriental music with ear-piercing effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, the Grand Instrumental Concert to honor the occasion opened with \u2013 what else? \u2013 \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recent Academy Awards focused everyone\u2019s attention on the movies. With the Oscars having been handed out, cast your mind backwards well more than a century to answer a question, \u201cWhat was the first film to show a flag?\u201d For the answer, go to the website of the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) and do some… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[178,3,103],"class_list":["post-959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-california-state-flag","tag-history","tag-star-spangled-banner"],"yoast_head":"\nEarliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Earliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The recent Academy Awards focused everyone\u2019s attention on the movies. With the Oscars having been handed out, cast your mind backwards well more than a century to answer a question, \u201cWhat was the first film to show a flag?\u201d For the answer, go to the website of the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) and do some... continue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-03-06T18:04:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-18T14:50:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"242\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James Breig\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James Breig\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/\",\"name\":\"Earliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster-151x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-03-06T18:04:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-18T14:50:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/048662cff3dee1c17360c4683b5fe03a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg\",\"width\":\"242\",\"height\":\"480\",\"caption\":\"Golden Jubilee poster\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Earliest flags to wave on film\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/048662cff3dee1c17360c4683b5fe03a\",\"name\":\"James Breig\",\"description\":\"James Breig is a veteran author who specializes in history. His most recent book is \u201cStar-Spangled Baseball: True Tales of Flags and Fields\u201d about the links between the sport and flags. He is also the author of a nonfiction book about WWII, \\\"Searching for Sgt. Bailey: Saluting an Ordinary Soldier of World War II\\\" and co-author of \\\"The Mystery of the Multiple Mothers,\\\" a novel. All three are available at www.amazon.com. His articles have appeared in newspapers and national magazines, including the Colonial Williamsburg Journal (search for them at www.history.org\/journal) and History Magazine. He has won many national awards for his opinion writing, media columns and feature articles.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/author\/james\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Earliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Earliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog","og_description":"The recent Academy Awards focused everyone\u2019s attention on the movies. With the Oscars having been handed out, cast your mind backwards well more than a century to answer a question, \u201cWhat was the first film to show a flag?\u201d For the answer, go to the website of the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) and do some... continue","og_url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/","og_site_name":"Gettysburg Flag Works Blog","article_published_time":"2014-03-06T18:04:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-18T14:50:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":242,"height":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"James Breig","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"James Breig","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/","url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/","name":"Earliest flags to wave on film - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster-151x300.jpg","datePublished":"2014-03-06T18:04:30+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-18T14:50:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/048662cff3dee1c17360c4683b5fe03a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Golden-Jubilee-poster.jpg","width":"242","height":"480","caption":"Golden Jubilee poster"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/earliest-flags-to-wave-on-film\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Earliest flags to wave on film"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/","name":"Gettysburg Flag Works Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/048662cff3dee1c17360c4683b5fe03a","name":"James Breig","description":"James Breig is a veteran author who specializes in history. His most recent book is \u201cStar-Spangled Baseball: True Tales of Flags and Fields\u201d about the links between the sport and flags. He is also the author of a nonfiction book about WWII, \"Searching for Sgt. Bailey: Saluting an Ordinary Soldier of World War II\" and co-author of \"The Mystery of the Multiple Mothers,\" a novel. All three are available at www.amazon.com. His articles have appeared in newspapers and national magazines, including the Colonial Williamsburg Journal (search for them at www.history.org\/journal) and History Magazine. He has won many national awards for his opinion writing, media columns and feature articles.","url":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/author\/james\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=959"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6034,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions\/6034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}