Star-Spangled Banner Tartan—THE PAST

The Story Within the Weave

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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COMMEMORATING THE
S E M I Q U I N C E N T E N N I A L

A CLOTH OF REMEMBRANCE

The PAST Edition of the Star-Spangled Banner tartan was created by Steven Patrick Sim, The Tartan Artisan®, and shares its official registration date of July 4th, 2021 with the Present Edition. While registered then, this PAST design has since been defined as a commemorative expression of America’s history, looking back from 1814 to the coming 250th anniversary.

Tartan Registration Number #13214

My Inspiration

The seed for this commemorative tartan was planted in 2014, when I conceived the Declaration of Scottish Independence tartan. That design honored Scotland’s two national flags and the Declaration of Arbroath, a treasured artefact symbolizing a nation’s cry for freedom.

From that point I knew I would one day create a tartan for the United States. A tartan that would honor the Stars and Stripes, carry the echoes of battle, and weave the ideals of liberty and sovereignty into its sett.

This PAST Edition embodies remembrance — its palette faded, muted, and symbolic of endurance across centuries.

Threads of the Historic Banner

Its palette is subdued, evoking an aged artifact:

Ember red for courage and valor enduring through time
One stripe of scarlet — now faded to burnt orange embers — for the fiery energy of battle and the anthem’s “rockets’ red glare”
Mellow ivory for purity and ideals tested yet unbroken
Smoky blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice under strain

Across the sett:

15 red and 15 blue threads commemorate the fifteen stars and stripes of the 1814 banner
13-count broad ember and ivory stripes honor the thirteen original colonies
50 smoky threads look ahead to the present Union of fifty states

A Living Memory of Anthem Origins

In this tartan the anthem’s birth is remembered:

The ember red and scarlet glow recall the bombardment of Fort McHenry.
The smoky blue field evokes the dawn sky after battle.
The clashing intersections recall shells bursting in air, proving the flag was still there.

As Francis Scott Key was stirred to write his immortal poem, so too does this weave preserve the spirit of endurance.

“The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.”

Hidden Symbolism

Within the sett, four white squares appear where broad stripes cross — alluding to the four cornerstones of the White House.

They echo the enduring mystery of the missing original cornerstone of 1792, but affirm the survival of the Constitution and the People’s House as symbols of unity and belonging.

Smithsonian Connection

This tartan owes its name to the Star-Spangled Banner flag preserved by the Smithsonian Institution.

Twenty red threads note 2020, the year permission to register the name was first sought.
The official response was received on April 22nd, 2021.
The tartan was thereafter registered on Independence Day, July 4th, 2021.

This connection grants the tartan authenticity and anchors it within America’s preserved heritage.

No endorsements are made by the Smithsonian Institution in connection with the tartan – Star-Spangled Banner (Flag of 1814).

A Summary of the Rationale

Design Inspiration & Heritage

Conceived as a faded tribute to the historic 1814 flag
Honors the anthem’s birth under fire at Fort McHenry
Registered July 4, 2021; redefined as a Semiquincentennial remembrance
Connects American resilience with Scotland’s enduring ideals of liberty

Symbolism of Colors

Ember Red: Courage and valor
Scarlet (faded to burnt orange): Energy and fire, now subdued through time
Mellow Ivory: Purity tested but enduring
Smoky Blue: Vigilance and justice across time
Muted tones reflect the passage of centuries and a flag preserved in history

Thread Counts & Sett Structure

15 red and 15 blue threads recall the 1814 banner
13-count broad faded stripes honor the colonies
50 smoky threads look ahead to the modern Union
Intersections recall the anthem’s fiery birth and dawn’s survival

Hidden Symbolism — A Secret in the Sett

Four white squares recall the White House cornerstones
Allude to the missing stone of 1792 and resilience of democracy
A reminder of the Constitution’s strength and inclusive purpose

Smithsonian Permission & Registrations

Conception date: September 14, 2014
Permission granted by Smithsonian in 2020 to register the tartan name
Twenty red threads mark this milestone
Official registration: July 4, 2021
Tartan registration #: #13214
UK Registered Designs: #6104320 (Color), #6147549 (Pattern)
USPTO Patent Pending: #29/800,256
Registered Trademark: #UK00003667073

Collectible Fine Art Print Offer

Celebrate America’s legacy with the exclusive Star-Spangled Banner Tartan — PAST Edition fine art print, designed to capture the solemnity and endurance of the historic banner.

FINISHED IN OAK

Framed Fine Art Print: Museum-grade archival paper in a refined oak-finished frame
Unframed Options: Available rolled in archival tubes for versatile display
Sizes: Collector and standard dimensions available for flexible presentation

A Reverent Tribute in Textile

This collectible print embodies the aged tones of the tartan’s weave — ember red, scarlet faded to burnt orange, mellow ivory, and smoky blue — preserving the anthem’s origins and the endurance of liberty.

It is a meaningful keepsake and striking gift — a lasting remembrance of America’s journey to freedom.