Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Great Star Flag" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Canvas board. 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. 33c Great Star Flag Classic Collection Series stamp issued June 14, 2000. In 1790, Rhode Island joined the Union -- the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state. The American flag proudly displayed a field of 13 red and white stripes, and 13 white stars on a blue canton. By 1794, two new states had joined the Union -- Vermont and Kentucky -- and Congress voted to add two stars and two stripes, making a 15-stars-and-stripes flag. By 1817, five more states had joined the Union. The flag would be too cluttered if a star and stripe were added for each new state, making a 20-stars-and-stripes design. Navy captain and hero of the War of 1812, Samuel Chester Reid proposed a flag design comprising 13 alternate red and white stripes, representing the 13 original colonies, and a blue canton with a star for each state. This design would allow Congress to easily add new stars to the flag without altering the overall pattern. On April 4, 1818, Congress voted to accept Reid's flag design. For every new state that joined the Union, a star would be added to the flag on the following July 4th. Because Congress did not specify how the stars should be arranged, flagmakers experimented with various designs. The Great Star flag of 1818 had 20 stars arranged in the form of a five-pointed star. Image Size: 18 x 13 in. Overall Size: 19.5 x 15 in. Unframed. (B16800)