PENNANT FACTORY
Homemade pennants inspired by designs of the past
The jobI know what you're thinking: "Enough with the Dodger pennants, already. Didn't you promise in your last post you were done?" It's true. I did. But, technically speaking, this month's project doesn't concern a "pennant," per se. This project concerns a cousin of the pennant known as a "burgee." Burgees differ from pennants in one key regard: instead of one tail; the burgee features two tails. Over the years they've been marketed under various names (e.g., fish tail pennants, swallow tail pennants), but its proper name can be traced back to its nautical origins when, as with the pennant, ships used flags of varying sizes, shapes, and colors to signal messages to neighboring vessels. Above: This excerpt from a 1946 trade catalogue by the Ace Banner & Flag Corp. of New York City illustrates the differences between burgees, pennants, and flags. For burgees, it reads: "The Proportions of a Burgee are Width at Head One Half of the Length and One Fourth of the Length at Swallow Tail." So there. This post won't involve a pennant. I'm making a burgee. I never said I wouldn't make a Dodger World Series Champs burgee, did I??
Apparently, if you wanted a burgee in 1912, you just had to head to upstate New York! Although Cornell clearly dominated the burgee market, you will find that plenty of these flags were produced for other Ivy League colleges and high schools in that era. It's notable that not all burgees were alike. Some were quite square; others were more tapered; but all featured that distinctive dual-tail look. Up to now we've been discussing the novelty burgee. These were made of felt and intended to be hung indoors; or, occasionally waved from a cane or dowel by a spectator at a sporting event. But, more often, burgees were employed as decorative flags adorning the exteriors of buildings. In such cases, they were made of canvas and significantly larger than the novelty burgee. In 1910, the nation's largest flag maker was Annin & Co. of New York, NY. Today, Annin is well known for their high quality American-made flags; but, at the turn of the past century, they were also one of the biggest makers of novelty pennants (and novelty burgees). It should come as no surprise then that, for decades, perched atop the company's headquarters flew a large "Annin & Co." burgee flag. Above: Annin's headquarters at 99-101 Fulton St., New York, NY ca. 1900. As one would expect, they flew a burgee flag of their own making overhead for many years. Of course, apart from decorating buildings, burgee flags have had one other very important purpose over the years: to commemorate a baseball team's status as pennant winners. Today, every major league baseball team celebrates and displays their titles in their own way. Some raise a banner to the rafters. Others uncover a sign on their "ring of honor." But, a handful of teams still practice the time honored custom of hoisting a burgee flag up a flag pole for their players and fans to see--typically, during the pregame festivities of the home opener, at the start of the following season. Here's a few images of such moments from the previous century: Note that, back then, most ballparks positioned their flag poles on or near the field of play. This placement made ceremonies like those pictured above possible. Since then, however, most ballparks have repositioned their flag poles away from the field. This was done for both player safety reasons; and to avoid obstructing fans' view of the game. This change prompted many teams to explore new, more permanent ways of displaying their titles. Here's some more contemporary depictions of how teams have raised their pennants: As you can see, not every team chooses to fly a burgee flag. Some fly triangular pennant flags. Some even fly traditional, rectangular flags. Some unveil signs that resemble a cloth flag. Additionally, some teams leave these items up in perpetuity; while others remove them as soon as the season comes to an end. The Dodgers organization has always been pretty traditional. Since 1955, they've won seven world championships; and, every season opener thereafter, they've celebrated by hoisting a burgee flag above their ballpark. A white burgee, trimmed in Dodger blue, to be more precise. And, when the season ended--the burgee was taken down and placed in storage; and periodically displayed at special events. Here's some images of the burgees they've used over the years: There you have it. Seven championships. And yes, that is co-owner Magic Johnson hoisting the '20 burgee flag above Chavez Ravine, earlier this year. But why should owners get to have all the fun? I want to hang my own championship burgee in my own home. So I figured: why not make a 2020 World Series Champion novelty burgee, out of felt, suitable for indoor display? |
AuthorIn 2018 I started a separate website called Pennant Fever dedicated to 20th century felt novelty manufacturers. It focuses on these companies' history, products, etc. Eventually, my interest in these businesses inspired me to start making my own pennants. THIS site you're currently viewing, Pennant Factory, is where I'll showcase some of the felt projects I've taken on. Most are reproductions of real pennants once for sale to the public. I've done my best to re-create the originals as authentically as possible based upon surviving photos, known dimensions, etc. Others are my original work, intended to look like the styles of yesteryear. Some turned out better than others. See for yourself. Enjoy! -KRB Projects:
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