The Weisgerber Saga Continues . . .

The Philadelphia Inquirer covered this story of Charles H. Weisgerber Jr. in its "City and Region" section on September 27, 1997:

To See the Light, Painting Needs Work

--Dominic Sama, staff writer

Charles H. Weisgerber Jr. wants to give something away.

But first he needs $25,000.

Weisgerber wants to donate his grandfather's famous oil painting, "Birth of Our Nation's Flag," to the Betsy Ross House. The 9-by-12-foot canvas depicts Betsy Ross showing a newly sewn 13-star American flag to George Washington.

But the century-old canvas is rolled up and has been in temperature controlled storage in South Jersey for more than 30 years. It needs major repairs.

On Monday Weisgerber plans to meet with Arthur Holst, executive director of the betsy Ross House, to discuss his hope for the painting. One is that his meeting with Holst will inspire a philanthropic group to adopt the painting's restoration as a fundraising project.

"The painting belongs in the Betsy Ross House for people to see," Weisgerber said from his home in Treasure Island, Fla.

The Betsy Ross House, at 239 Arch St., is very interested in "Birth of Our Nation's Flag." But, Holst said, "The city owns the building and so we are not in a position to raise funds for the restoration project. But we can provide space and insurance. It's hard for a nonprofit to take on a project like that."

Holst did have some good news for Weisgerber: If someone were to restore the painting and frame it, he said, it could hang on a large brick wall in the Betsy Ross House annex.

The National Postal Museum in Washington has already turned down Weisgerber's offer.

"We could not put it on permanent display because we don't have room. And the conservation cost would be massive," said James Bruns, the museum's curator.

Weisgerber, 71, a retired sales representative for a cash register company, askaed a painting conservator, Fred Koszewnik of Marlton, N.J., to examine the painting. He determined that its restoration would take three to four months -- and cost about $25, 000.

"The canvas hasn't been monkeyed around with much," Koszewnik said this week. "It's in pretty fine shape, but it does need some attention because the old canvas is britle and dry, and it has been rolled up several times. It's not in a frame.  It's the canvas that holds the paint together."

Weisgerber said his grandfather, Charles H. Weisgerber, was born in Germantown and studied art and sculpture.

In 1893, his grandson said, the city of Philadelphia offered a $1,000 prize for the best rendition of a local historical event. Family lore has it that around that time, the elder Weisgerber happened to stroll by the Betsy Ross House, where he spotted a sign reading "Home of Betsy Ross: seamstress, upholsterer and maker of the first American flag."

He conferred with Ross' grandson, William Canby, and began painting. Ultimately, his work featured a seated Ross with the flag spread out toward Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, members of a committee charged with finding someone to design and make a flag to unite the colonies.

His grandfather won the city's $1,000 prize, and his painting was displayed at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago that year. It also appeared at the 1933-34 Chicago World's fair, in the window of John Wannamaker in the 1930's, at a couple of war bond rallies in the Philadelphia area during World War II, and at the Pennsylvania Museum of Art in Harrisburg.

In 1959, it was returned to Weisgerber's mother's home in South Jersey and later placed in storage.

Though the painting has made infrequent public appearances, it has been included in several history books and, in 1952, it was reproduced in miniature more that 116 million times -- on a 3-cent postage stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of Betsy Ross.