The last issue of The Flag Bulletin (Number 233, July 2008-October 2011) is titled Celebrating 50 Years of Vexillology and commemorates the launch of the Bulletin--the first flag studies journal--on 1 October 1961. More specifically, it is a celebration of the life of Whitney Smith, upon his retirement, through a long series of personal recollections of… Continue reading Whitney Smith’s Flag of Guyana
Jeopardy challenge: Flags for 1000, Alex. A: This man coined the word vexillology and helped organize flag studies into an global research community of that name. Q: Who is Dr. Whitney Smith? Correct! Today is Whitney Smith's 76th birthday. He was born 26 February 1940 in Arlington, Massachusetts to a family of teachers and became fascinated as a child of… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Whitney Smith!
Upon hearing Roman Mars repeat Ted Kaye's dictum In every bad flag there's a good flag trying to get out, James Reyes decided to simplify the flag of his hometown, El Paso, Texas, from this: to this: Adding to the list of city flag improvement efforts underway in the US he began lobbying for a… Continue reading Simplifying El Paso’s flag
[Above photo of the Burns High gym by Thomas Boyd, Oregonian Staff] The 41-day standoff between law enforcement and armed out-of-state militants who took over and vandalized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon has finally ended, but the hurt done to the communities of surrounding Harney County has only begun to heal. The… Continue reading Teen Hopes Flags Will Help Heal Eastern Oregon Community
By Scott Mainwaring, Vexilloid Tabloid #56 This is a story about flag quote that has taken on a life of its own, thanks in part to a photo of it written on a flag held by a soldier. “There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people” is an abridged… Continue reading There Is No Flag Large Enough…
Last November we wrote about the Flag for All Mississippians Coalition (NewMSFlag.org) and contentious efforts underway in the Magnolia State to change the current state flag, the only state flag to include the Confederate battle flag. Here is an update. The NewMSFlag people are currently collecting signatures to qualify The Flag for All Mississippians Act as Initiative… Continue reading Mississippi Flag Initiatives
by Ted Kaye, Vexilloid Tabloid #56 The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the “familiarity principle”. I recently learned of this term, and the concept which it describes. It puts… Continue reading The Mere-Exposure Effect
Alas, no, not a flag for Dungeons & Dragons: rather, a flag for the twin Scottish villages of Denny (pop. 8000) and Dunipace (pop. 2500). The River Carron -- which might be the "River Itys" described in Ptolemy's Geography in the 2nd century -- separates the two. Deadline for submissions is February 17, 2016. For instructions and details, download the… Continue reading Have an Idea for a D&D Flag?
Tim Kerr sent us his essay regarding New Zealand's flag change referendums, Seeking an Emblem: Observations on the Tradition of the New Zealand Ensign. Though we are not endorsing it nor verifying its accuracy, it is interesting and timely so we are republishing it here for general vexillological discussion. About the author Tim Kerr has written articles… Continue reading New Zealand Seeking an Emblem
The US is not known for the overall design quality of its state flags, with many being uninspired, easily confusable "seal on a bedsheet" designs. Yet changing a state flag in order to improve its basic design is a very difficult task, so difficult there is only one good example: Colorado. This is not to say that… Continue reading US State Flag Devolution
Portland Flag Association 