Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
FLAGS THEIR FORTE
The M. G. Copeland Company
Has Become Famous.
EST A BLISHED 1861
HAS MADE EMBLEMs FOR MANY
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Also Has Large Trade In Awnings
Tents, College Society and
Fraternity Bunting.
EST 1869

The NJ. G. Copeland Company Is the outs
growth of a business started In this city In
January. 1862. by Mr.. NJ. G. Copeland. Mr..
Copeland came to Washington with an ex-
tremely small capital and located in the
hallway OF building on Pennsylvania ave.
nue. between Az and 9Th streets. the key to
which cost him $500. From Pennsylvania
avenue the company occupied a building on
Pennsylvania avenue near 18th street, and
afterward were located on the upper floors
Of 643 Louisiana avenue From there they
moved to their present location. 400 nth
street. which they have owned and occu-
pied for the past fifteen years.
Awnings were novelties In those days,
people having the idea that only restau-
rants used them. That made It uphill
work for long time, though this idea was
gradually overcome. They employed but
one girl to do the sewing at the start; tho
binding was all done by hand. Now tha
concern have forty girls on awning work
alone.
1t was about the year 1870 that this con<
Germ started making flags. Their first order
for bunting was for one roll each OF
red, white and blue, and It was some
time before that was exhausted This
line of the business has grown in pro-
portion to the others. so that now they
order bunting, after their own specaca-
lions. in lots Of 10000 yards and over, Id
every width and color Special machinery.
to large extent their own Inventions
labor-savng devices-do their part of the
fancy stitching, etc. Two machines and
four girls work constantly in cutting and
making ready the stars, letters and ems
blems for flags.
One of the largest flags ever unfurled was
made by the Copeland Company. It was an
object of admiration to the many visitors to
the court of the pension office. and after-
ward hung over the Eifel tower during the
Paris exposition. The Copeland Company
were the originators Of the college and
fraternity flags, so many thousands OF
which you now see in the rooms OF the coll
lege girl and on the foot ball or athletic
field The flag business has taken them
into numerous side lines, such as flags
used for advertising purposes, the flags
used as signals in time of war, the interna-
uonal code signals and silk standards So
ciety flags, etc. Their flags can be seem
flying from every army post, Indian reser-
walton and signal station throughout the
country. and over our consulates abroad.
During the winter or social season they
are called to furnish sidewalk awn-
ings for churches and residences and
the coverings for the protection OF
floors. Quite feature OF their work IS
decorating, the artistic arrangement of
flags and bunting. both exterior and In
terror. The last building Of note decorated
by them was the general offices OF thu
Southern Railroad, which took the first
prize during thp g. A. r. encampment.
In the growth OF the business Mr.. Cope-
land has had the assistance Of his sons. MI.
Arthur Copeland was taken into the firm In
1898. In the early part of the present year,
IN order to better handle the business. ie
was Incorporated, and the organization row
stands NJ G. Copeland president: Arthur
Copeland, treasurer; A. NJ. Copeland. secre-
tary. together with H T.. Copeland and
Mr.. A. CT. Holland, the latter having been
identified with the house for the past thirty
five years.