Don't Give Up the Ship

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“Don’t Give Up the Ship” is more than a rallying cry—it’s a timeless symbol of perseverance and hope. Haptic Lab’s flags are handcrafted from vintage linen and hand-dyed with real indigo. Each flag features printed lettering modeled on the original 1813 flag, honoring a legacy of resilience. Only 12 flags are available—each one a one-of-a-kind piece of American craft and history.

DETAILS

Embroidered with edition series x/12 in lower right corner
Flag measures approximately 8" x 12"
Framed; Flag hand-stitched to felt backing fabric
White Frame Measures 11" x 17"
One of a kind

HISTORY

"Don't Give Up the Ship" was a rallying cry during the War of 1812. Inspired by the dying words of a US Naval Commander, his friend Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry commissioned several women in Erie, Pennsylvania to craft the first flag. Led by Margaret Forster Steuart, the seamstresses stitched the flag by hand in just a few days. It was flown in the Battle of Lake Erie, seen as a victorious turning point in US Naval History.

Another famous Commodore Perry (Hazard's brother) would take a commission at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for many years, overseeing the development of the burgeoning US Navy there. The Brooklyn Navy Yard is now an industrial park instead of a military base, and we've made the Yard our home for the past five years. The Haptic Lab studio overlooks the Perry Commandant’s House on a bluff over Wallabout Bay!