Abraham Lincoln Museum’s Purchase of 19th-Century American Flag Sparks Illinois State Investigation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is once again in the spotlight after a director failed to consult a collections committee before purchasing a 21-star flag whose description is a rare banner marking Illinois’ 1818 admission to the union.

Acquiring the flag through an online auction for more than $15,000 precipitated an investigation by the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General into the money used for the purchase. The purchase also led to a division within the Springfield museum’s leadership and may have prompted the firing of an employee who said the acquisition circumvented procedures.

The flag, measuring 7 feet 5 inches by 6 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters by 1.96 meters), is known as the “Great Luminary” because its 21 stars are arranged in a star shape. The museum believes it represents Illinois’ admission as the 21st state, said spokesman Christopher Wills.

Such flags are rare because their design was changed a year later when Alabama and Maine joined the Union.

But Jeff Bridgman, a respected vexillologist, or flag expert, told The Associated Press that its construction and materials indicate the flag was produced decades later, during the Civil War, and may be -be a flag of exclusion from the South whose stars represent the States remaining loyal to the Union. .

Bridgman, who owns about 3,000 flags, most dating from the 19th century, says they do not date from 1818.

“If it was,” he said, “I would have looked for it at auction.”

This is not the first blow to the museum’s credibility.

His prized purchase of a purported Lincoln stovepipe hat, valued at $6.5 million, turned sour when evidence linking him to the 16th president came into question. A director was fired in 2019 for sending without approval a copy of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to a Texas exhibit organized by conservative political commentator Glenn Beck.

The museum’s acquisitions manager, Ian Hunt, submitted a request to the executive director to retain the 21-star flag on Nov. 6, according to documents provided to the AP as part of a public access request.

The flag was part of the prestigious Zaricor flag collection. Hunt won the auction on Nov. 13, and the museum paid $15,625 for the flag using the King Hostick Trust Fund, an endowment intended to finance state historical research and artifact acquisition.

Museum policy requires that purchases exceeding $2,000 be offered for prior review by a collections committee composed of department heads. The panel had not met regularly due to a vacancy, but it met to review the flag on December 7, three weeks after its purchase, and voted 7-2 in favor.

Eldon Yeakel, then registrar, and Brian Mitchell, research director, voted “no.” Mitchell declined to comment to the AP. Staff comments at the bottom of the document recording the vote include concerns about the authenticity and storage of the flag.

The committee vote would have been closer if the acquisition had not gone through, Yeakel said. The museum fired Yeakel on May 6, citing his poor performance and rule violations, but placed the blame on his “no” vote. Wills declined to comment.

Yeakel said he told Executive Inspector General investigators that the flag purchase improperly circumvented the committee’s agreement. They asked him whether he knew of any fraud or abuse in the transaction and whether King Hostick’s funds had been exploited. He told them he was not aware of any fraud or abuse or details regarding the Hostick money or its intended use.

Two museum employees, one current and one former, told the AP that their complaints to the inspector triggered an investigation. They requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Neil Olson, general counsel for the inspector general, declined to comment on the investigation. The office has not released any findings.

If wrongdoing occurs, the Office of Inspector General may recommend corrective action, including disciplinary action or termination. The inspector may also conduct a criminal investigation or refer an investigation to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Wills said the museum had not been informed of any complaints to the inspector general, but was “clearly authorized” to use the Hostick money for the flag. He acknowledged a “misstep” on Hunt’s part in proceeding without committee review, but noted that museum policy only requires the committee’s “recommendation” on big-ticket purchases.

After the late Ben Zaricor purchased the flag in 1995, he had it examined by renowned vexillologist Howard Madaus. Madaus determined that the flag was made entirely of cotton in 1818-20.

Bridgman considered Madaus, who died in 2007, a respected colleague and friend, but he said Madaus was wrong.

Although he has not examined the flag personally, Bridgman said high-resolution images show the blue canton is wool or a wool blend, typical of Civil War flags. It is worn in long and narrow holes.

“Cotton doesn’t do that. Wool absolutely does,” Bridgman said.

A 2003 report by respected conservative Fonda Thomsen determined that at least part of the flag was made of wool, but “the flag has not been examined sufficiently to draw conclusions.”

Museum officials have yet to inspect the flag, which has been delivered to a conservation company for stabilization and cleaning to ensure its longevity. The estimated cost of conservation is $18,000.

The AP asked other vexillologists to examine photos of the flag and judge its age. Only one responded. Dave Martucci of Washington, Maine, said by email that he was familiar with the flag and thought the “design, construction and size” pointed to 1818, not 1861.

Regardless of its history, Wills said the flag has “a strong pedigree” and is a good investment.

“We’re always open to learning more,” Wills said. “And if it turns out it’s a different era with a different history, that’s how it goes.” We are going to tell this story. And it turns out that this story is also a good story.