Don't Give Up the Ship - Emily's Flag

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Bold, resilient, and deeply personal—this 24" x 34" “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flag is a hand-sewn tribute to endurance in the face of uncertainty. Crafted by Emily Fischer of Haptic Lab, this art flag is made from Zak + Fox Deluge 100% linen which was then hand-dyed with vivid, real indigo. The hand-cut linen lettering is densely appliqued with a herringbone stitch. This painstaking construction echoes the original 1813 naval banner, a symbol carried forward as a message of hope. This one-of-a-kind artwork honors American craft and the power of persistence—meant to be seen, remembered, and held onto.

DETAILS

Measures approximately 24" x 34"
Flag field is hand-dyed with indigo
Lettering is appliqued by hand with dense herringbone stitch
Includes blind-stitched hanging sleeve for display
One of one

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!