by Erik Herron, PhD Eberly Family Professor of Political Science West Virginia University (from Vexilloid Tabloid #57) Introduction The disciplines of vexillology and psephology (the scientific study of elections) have many commonalities: both focus on how design and representation intersect. New Zealand’s 2015–16 Flag Referendums caused these two worlds to collide. This article assesses the… Continue reading New Zealand’s Flag Referendum and Theories of Voting
At Brighton Beach not far from downtown Melbourne, Australia is a famous row of colorfully painted "bathing boxes" (19th century huts built as shelters and changing rooms for beach goers). Box Number Two, painted to resemble the Australian flag, is a popular photographic subject. Very popular. Consider this selection of postings found on Instagram. Is there… Continue reading That Australian Flag Bathing Box
PFA luminary Ted Kaye was on Turkish television (TRT World) last week, being interviewed as part of a story about national flags and the flag change debate in New Zealand. Check it out:
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
UPDATE: Fiji has cancelled its plans to change its flag. The newfijiflag.com website hasn't yet been updated, but according to the following media release from late last year, the process to choose a new flag for Fiji is once again moving forward and will be completed this year by the 7th of September. Note that design submissions… Continue reading Fiji Still Looking for New Flag Designs
Art Basel is a series of international contemporary art fairs with a large online catalog. Their Miami Beach 2015 event is happening now, with 10,665 artworks by 3086 artists. Here are 15 works that feature flags. US Flag Bernstein, Judith: Union Jack-Off on US Policy in Vietnam, 1967 Ethridge, Roe: Louise with Flag, 2014 Horowitz,… Continue reading Flag Art at Art Basel
from Vexilloid Tabloid #54 Note: “Flutterings” — notes from the editor on our last meeting — is a regular feature in The Vexilloid Tabloid. September 2015 Flutterings You Need to Know In our September meeting, hosted by Larry Snyder in a small theater—complete with fresh popcorn—at the Oswego Pointe development in Lake Oswego, 8 PFA members enjoyed a… Continue reading Flutterings (from VexTab #54)
To commemorate today's Veterans Day holiday, which arose out of World War I Armistice Day, here are a few flag-related items.
Guardian art critic and famed contrarian Jonathan Jones, that's who. The decision this summer by the British team at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing not to include the Union Jack on team uniforms prompted Jones to write an essay slamming the UK flag. He titled it We don't need the union jack on Team… Continue reading Who Doesn’t Like the Union Jack?
It was 57 years ago this month that the word vexillology first appeared in print, in an article by the founder of flag studies, Whitney Smith, in the now discontinued journal The Arab World. Here is a transcription of the article. FLAGS of the ARAB WORLD By WHITNEY SMITH, Jr. One of the most interesting phases… Continue reading Whitney Smith: Flags of the Arab World, 1958
Portland Flag Association 