build a comprehensive web resource for present andfuture vexillologists.
John Hartvigsen has keenly identified the need forNAVA to have a proactive public relations program thatwill help us highlight the achievements of currentmembers and recruit new members. I’ve asked John toprepare a job description for a new public relationsofficer position for consideration by the ExecutiveBoard.
As part of our efforts to improve our public profileand reach out to new members, I am contemplating theneed for a curriculum committee to work on preparingcurricular materials for primary and secondary schooleducators that use flags in the classroom. Besides theuse of flags to teach history, we could, for example,develop materials for math teachers that focus on flagproportions and other technical elements of flag speci-fications. I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Going into the new year, I look forward to makingslow but sure progress towards these and other effortsthat build on our well-deserved reputation as one ofthe preeminent vexillological organizations in theworld. 2012 is going to be a great year!
HUGH BRADYPRESIDENT
Friends:
As I have written before, Dr. Whitney Smith envi-sioned an armadillo as a feature of the first NAVA sealbecause, he wrote, the animal embodied the qualities ofa vexillologist: “slow but sure progress, a tendency toburrow deeply, and imperviousness to outside pres-sures”.
That’s a fair statement of our organizational healthas we close out 2011 and look forward to 2012.
The overhaul of our website, NAVA.org, is proceed-ing nicely. This project has been delayed for variousreasons for the last few years, but we have overcomethose obstacles. Information Technology Officer Shane
Sievers is working diligently on theinitial phases of importing all ourold content into a new contentmanagement system (CMS) forediting. One of the benefits of aCMS is that all of our content canbe easily channeled to RSS feeds,
home-page-type widgets, or other flexible uses. Ourcontent will also be easily searchable by both humansand the major search engines. Until the new website isfully designed and edited, our old website will remainin place. Given our progress so far, I fully expect that anew NAVA.org will launch next spring.
I would also like to note that the Board “promoted”Shane by combining his old offices of webmaster anddatabase manager into a new information technologyofficer position. Shane has been a real asset to NAVAand provided countless hours of expertise to help makeNAVA.org and our members directory work togetherseamlessly and consistently. I am grateful that he is ourpoint person on the website overhaul and for IT issuesgenerally.
Speaking of content, we have worked with NAVAmember Pete Loeser to take over hosting of his HistoricFlags of Our Ancestors content on NAVA.org. This is avery generous contribution to our website by Pete andpromises to help it attract more users (and potentialmembers!). If you have any material for inclusion onthe website—whether it’s been digitized or not—please consider sharing it with NAVA so that we can
NAVA News 212, (ISSN 1053-3338), Oct.-Dec. 2011, Vol. 44, No. 4Published quarterly by North American Vexillological Association,
EDWARD B. KAYE, JOHN A. LOWE, DAVID B. MARTUCCI, HUGH L. BRADY, EX OFFICIO
EDITORIAL BOARD
North American Vexillological AssociationFOUNDED 1967
HUGH L. BRADY, PRESIDENT
GUSTAVO TRACCHIA, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
ANNE M. PLATOFF, SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
MARY ANN DOCKTOR-SMITH, SECRETARY
EDWARD B. KAYE, TREASURER
WHITNEY SMITH, PRESIDENT EMERITUS
HUGHBRADY
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 1
MILESTONES
John Hood 1934–2011Longtime NAVA member and charter member of thePortland Flag Association John Hood died in September.His home on S.E. 39th Avenue was known as “the FlagHouse” as he flew three different flags every day fromhis collection of over 600 full-size flags. He maintaineda master database of flag-flying days.
He served in the “central coordinator” role for thePFA, and created and published its occasional newslet-ter, the Vexilloid Tabloid. In it he chronicled PFA meet-ings, challenged members with flag quizzes, and docu-mented local and national flag doings.
In John’s living room in 2002 the PFA hatched a suc-cessful effort to redesign the 1969flag of the city of Portland, OregonAfter PFA members arranged politi-cal support, testified before citycouncil, and watched the redesignordinance pass unanimously, MayorVera Katz asked them to replace thecouncil chamber’s old flag. Johnattached the newly-adopted flag tothe pole, becoming the first personever to raise Portland’s current flag.
John was especially appreciatedby NAVA members for making theindividualized name tags for recent
NAVA meetings, using flag images to represent theattendees’ city, state, country, title, and interests.
John Hood andPortland’s mayor,Vera Katz, 2002
Martin A. Francis 1926–2011
By JAMES J. FERRIGAN III
I first met Martin Francis inthe late 1970s. He hadcome into my establishment,The Flag Store, on SanFrancisco’s Polk Street. Likemany of my early customers,he was both astonished andoverjoyed to find a well-stocked emporium staffed byknowledgeable people sell-ing obscure flags at reason-able prices.
I do not recall hisrequest, other than it was an historical flag, but hesoon became one of my regular weekend customers.He was always smiling and would often stay after hispurchase to talk flags. His input helped bring manyobscure California historical flags to the general public.
A NAVA member since 1979, Martin became a fix-ture at annual meetings and his smiling face gracesmany group photos. His commitment and dedication toboth U.S. flag history & NAVA were admirable. Alwaysone to lend a hand or answer questions as he set uphis display, Martin will be missed.
Martin had a special reverence for the U.S. Flag anddevoted over three decades to sharing his passion,especially with elementary school students. Locallyknown as the “Flag Man” in his home town of SanLeandro, he routinely brought elements of his collectionto display for educational, civic, and veterans groups.He was the city of San Leandro’s official vexillologist.
In 1987, at Flag Congress/San Francisco (ICV 12),we organizers arranged for a week-long display ofMartin’s huge collection of flags and artifacts in theChildren’s Room of the San Francisco Public Library,then located directly across Civic Center Plaza from CityHall. It was a featured attraction on the official tours.
Although neither an academic nor a contributor toRaven, Martin instead leaves us a legacy of unparal-leled enthusiasm for flags which will be equaled by fewand excelled by none.
Jim Ferrigan was the long-time manager of San Francisco’s FlagStore, the co-chair of Flag Congress/San Francisco in 1987, VP ofNAVA 1986-89, and is now curator of the Zaricor Flag Collection
Martin at NAVA 41 in Hartford
FIELD REPORT: OREGON
This unusual “Gadsden Variant”appeared In the Occupy Portlandencampment, drawn on cardboard by an artist named Bobby.It turns the well-known rattlesnake into a “99%” image reflectingthe movement’s motto “We are the 99%”. ROB KAYE
2 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
By CATHERINE WRIGHT
On 16 April 1861—just one day beforedelegates at the Virginia Convention inRichmond voted to secede from theUnion—a brief article in the RichmondDaily Dispatch reported seeing at the MainStreet establishment of George Ruskell “anexceedingly neat flag of rich blue silk,which he had manufactured to the order ofthe ladies of Caroline county, for presenta-tion to the Caroline Greys”. The ladies paidnearly $100 for their flag (the equivalent ofapproximately $2,500 in today’s currency).
As Virginia mobilized for war, militarycompanies and their communities commis-sioned state flags or secession flags to sym-bolize their Confederate patriotism andresolve. George Ruskell became perhapsthe most celebrated new flag maker in thecapital city, and his reputation may wellowe to the reporter’s favorable comments.
The Greys flag featured a “Virginia coatof arms”, or state seal, on its obverse(Figure 1). While state seals were standardfare on many early war flags, this iterationis much more kinetic than is usuallydepicted: Virtus looms over the fallentyrant, her sword poised menacingly aboveher head, as if in mid-swing.
The reverse (Figure 2) portrays a scenebelieved entirely unique among Civil War-era flags, Union or Confederate. It features,as the Dispatch described, “a representationof the company on parade” with 34 enlistedmen, one company commander, and twored-coated musicians, all facing out. Theyare surmounted by the motto “God Protectthe Right” and a pink-robed angel recliningon fleecy clouds. A Virginia state flag canbe seen hoisted on a staff behind thecompany, with the visible portion—Virtuswith her arm raised overhead—suggestingthat it is intended to depict the very flag it
is painted upon.
From Battle Flag to Relic
The Greys drilled atRuther Glen, a CarolineCounty community abouttwenty miles south ofFredericksburg. TheRichmond Daily Dispatchnoted that the “magnifi-cent” flag was presented tothe company on 27 April1861. They carried it toFredericksburg, where thecompany was musteredinto service as Co. E, 30thRegiment VirginiaVolunteers, and the flagadopted by the regiment.
After the Seven DaysBattles in 1862, the flagwas deposited at the
A “Bright and Lasting” TributeConserving the Flag of the Caroline Greys
Figure 1. Post-conservation photograph of the flag’s obverse.TEXTILE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATES, RANSON, WV
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 3
elegant new Spotswood Hotel in Richmond.Perhaps the regiment was responding to anorder supposedly issued in early 1862 toretire all non-regulation battle flags afterbeing issued an Army of Northern Virginiapattern battle flag; or maybe it feared thesplendid flag would be captured or shot topieces. Whatever the reason, the flagremained in the keeping of a trustedRichmond friend for many years.
The flag was again unfurled on 29 May1890, at the unveiling of the LeeMonument in Richmond. Company sur-vivors proudly bore the flag before themas they paraded before more than 100,000spectators.
Just three years later, the flag wasamong the very first artifacts presented tothe newly-founded Confederate MemorialLiterary Society (CMLS) (the parentorganization of the Museum of theConfederacy). Once the CMLS beganexhibiting artifacts in the White House ofthe Confederacy in 1896, the flag wasprobably displayed almost constantly—and it paid a price.
By the time the newmuseum facility opened in1976, the flag was literallyfalling to pieces (Figure 3).The delicate oil-on-silkpaintings that had oncebeen considered newswor-thy had become stiffenedstrips of fabric, or had bro-ken off altogether. Theonce-breathtaking flag wasvirtually unrecognizable.
Resurrecting the Colors
The museum estab-lished the Flag Conser-vation Program in 1993 torescue flags such as this.The Greys flag was on themuseum’s list of “TopTwelve Flags in Need ofConservation” ever since
the list was created. But with estimatedconservation costs estimated at more than$20,000, there were no takers—until retiredbusinessman Floyd Tyson stepped up. Aresident of Houston, Texas, he had grownup in Richmond, steeped in stories andmemories of the war.
Figure 2. Post-conservation photograph of the flag’s reverse.ALAN THOMPSON, MUSEUM OF THE CONFEDERACY, RICHMOND, VA
Figure 3. Pre-conservation photograph,revealing extensive damage to the oil-painted silk.
KATHERINE WETZEL, MUSEUM OF THE CONFEDERACY, RICHMOND, VA
4 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
In March 2010, the museum contractedwith Textile Preservation Associates inRanson, West Virginia, to treat this flag.The textile conservators thoroughly docu-mented the flag, then commenced cleaning,flattening, and stabilizing it. The mostchallenging aspect of this multi-layer silkflag was that the oil-painted portion hadsplit into pieces, so the conservator firsthad to sort out the obverse and reversefragments, then arrange them backtogether like a jigsaw puzzle.
Painting conservators at Art CareAssociates in Frederick, Maryland, furthercleaned the painted portion of the flag.They began mending the fragments usingStabiltex, a synthetic silk that enables thepieces to be secured without sewing direct-ly to the original flag. Large areas of lossrequired the missing design be recreated inwatercolor on heavy Japanese paper, whichwas then attached to Stabiltex. Treatmentwas completed by framing the flag behindUV-filtering Plexiglass.
The newly-conserved flag will be in the
permanent exhibit at the Museum’s newsite in Appomattox, which opens on 31March 2012. It will be rested periodically,as are all fragile silk flags, and made avail-able for exhibit or short-term loan to othermuseums.
Tantalizing New Questions
Conservation not only allows the flag tobe exhibited, but also opens up avenues forresearch and promises to resolve some ofthe several mysteries remaining about itshistory. For instance: although the newly-conserved flag is signed, “GEO. RUSKELL /RICHMOND,” researchers disagree as towhether it is the product of a Philadelphiaartist, a Richmonder, or even Ruskell him-self.
According to the 1860 Federal Census,Ruskell was a 27-year-old Irish immigrantwho operated a trimmings shop at 9½ MainStreet in Richmond. His stock of tassels,ribbons, and other decorative textileelements would come in handy in his flagtrade. Ruskell is not known to have beentrained as an artist, so the presence of hisname on the flag could have been a form ofbranding.
The first documented receipt regardingflags produced by Ruskell is dated 19November 1860, when commerce stillflowed freely across the Mason-Dixon Line.He may have begun his flag business byordering flags from Philadelphia, butswitched to subcontracting with local artistsonce the war began. There are severalsurviving examples of Ruskell’s flags in themuseum’s collection. Their constructionand appearance are mediocre in compari-son with that of the Greys flag.
“Heretofore all the painting on flagsordered in this city has been done inPhiladelphia—a practice now ended,”proclaimed a 22 May 1861 article in theRichmond Daily Dispatch. Philadelphiawas the unofficial capital of American flag-making on the eve of the war, with around
Figure 4. Detail of the flag’s obverse, revealing how the date “1861” was, inexplicably, altered to “1860”.
ART CARE ASSOCIATES, FREDERICK, MD
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 5
two dozen artists. In the museum’s collec-tion are two flags signed by HorstmannBrothers, one of the best-known flagmakers and largest military goods shops atthat time. These flags are consistent instyle and technique with the Greys flag—all three feature a central medallionmeasuring approximately thirty inches indiameter, surmounted by a rippling ribbon,with a second decorative ribbon beneaththe medallion.
Another opportunity for research lies inthe presence of two different presentationdates on the flag: “May 1860” on theobverse and “May 1861” on the reverse. Infact, the “0” on “1860” was noticeablyaltered from a “1” by the artist (Figure 4).Newspaper accounts from late April 1861document the flag’s presentation. TheGreys had first organized as a militia uniton 12 December 1859, following JohnBrown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry. Nothingnoteworthy in the company’s history isknown to have occurred in May 1860, so thepresence of that date is a mystery.
Finally, there is the question of theidentity of the men on parade. The viewer’seyes are drawn continually to the faces ofthe men who gaze back (Figure 5). Thedistinct array of facial hair, skin tones, andhair colors among them suggests that theflag may have been painted from life.
Curatorial research has turned up onlyone surviving photograph of a member ofthe Greys: Robert O. Peatross, who servedas company captain from the beginning ofthe war until promoted to major in 1864,when John W. Scott assumed companycommand. Although it is an antebellumphotograph and does not depict a wartimeuniform, it reveals Peatross to have haddark hair and a full beard, just like thecompany captain depicted on the flag.
A Richmond Daily Dispatch article of1 May 1861 prophesied that the companywas destined “to achieve bright and lastinghonors”. They certainly fought bravely, andsuffered greatly; only eleven men were still
with the colors at Appomattox. But fewpeople, beyond historians and genealogists,would know anything about them were itnot for their flag. In its restored state, tensof thousands of visitors can learn the storyof the men who fought beneath its newlybright and lasting colors.
Catherine Wright is collections manager at the Museum of theConfederacy in Richmond, Virginia. She previously served as acurator at the Stonewall Jackson House in Lexington, Virginia.
Editor, Lee’s Last Casualty: The Life and Letters of Sgt. Robert W.Parker, Second Virginia Cavalry (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2008)
Figure 5. The faces of the men on parademay have been painted from life.
The officer at the front of the parade resembles a surviving photograph of Capt. Robert O. Peatross.
ALAN THOMPSON, MUSEUM OF THE CONFEDERACY, RICHMOND, VA
6 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
A Decade of Healing Field®
Memorials in Sandy, Utah
By JOHN HARTVIGSEN
Ten years of massive flag displays in Utah atSandy City’s grassy Promenade culminatedthis year with a weeklong surge of activity inearly September. The site was a 4½-acrefield stretching for a quarter of a mile southfrom the Sandy City Hall. There volunteersposted more than 3,000 United States flagsforming a sea of red, white, and blue toremember and honor the victims of the 2001terrorist attacks. As a reminder that this wasan attack on the world, 57 national flags alsoflew to recognize countries which lost citi-zens. True to the name of the event, TheUtah Healing Field®, the display brought asense of healing to more than 100,000 visi-tors.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 have inspiredmany flag displays over the years and aroundthe country. Some, as with the Utah HealingField®, are associated with the Colonial FlagFoundation. The terrorist attacks of the 11thof September in 2001 had a horrifying impacton us as a nation and as individuals. NAVAmember Paul Swenson saw the “sheer enor-mity” of that day’s human loss evidenced bythe rubble, carnage, and confusion at groundzero. He wanted to acknowledge the scale ofthe sacrifice with a positive image that wouldalso provide hope and comfort: a display thatwould offer healing.
As the president of Colonial FlagCompany, Swenson recognized the simple yetemotional power of the United States flag.He had seen the comfort in the eyes of aGold Star Mother receiving a flag presented“on behalf of a grateful nation”. The foldedflag which had so recently draped the casketreminded family that the fallen warrior waspart of a cause greater than self, that we allare indeed part of that same cause. Paulknew from so many similar experiences thehealing power that can be found in the sim-ple display of the flag.
Swenson envisioned a display of 3,000flags, a Healing Field®, to honor those whodied on the altar of freedom on 9-11. Not apile of rubble bleak against a gray smoke-streaked sky, but ordered lines of flags postedon a grassy field, fluttering in the breezeagainst a blue sky. The enormity of the eventwould be symbolized with a positive andbeautiful image.
Visitors began arriving on Wednesdayevening, 7 September, as soon as thousandsof volunteers finished posting the flags. Forhundreds of these volunteers, the posting ofthe Stars and Stripes in Sandy has become ayearly tradition. Many reported three years,five years, and even ten years of involvementin the annual Healing Field® observance.
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 7
The first Healing Field® flag display roseon the Sandy Promenade on the firstanniversary of the attacks. Each year inSeptember, Swenson has produced a HealingField® in Sandy. Its impact led him, throughthe Colonial Flag Foundation, to coordinateHealing Field® and Field of Honor® displaysin communities across the United States. InSeptember 2011 the Colonial Flag Foundationworked with local committees in 22 commu-nities. Five communities in New York State,including New York’s Battery Park, producedmemorial flag displays to commemorate 9/11using the program he had created.
A focus of the event in Sandy was a newlycommissioned heroic-sized bronze sculpture,“Hope Rising—To Lift a Nation”. Nine-footfigures recreated the scene in that iconicphotograph of three New York firefightersraising a U.S. flag atop a pile of rubble atGround Zero. Those firefighters were at firstreluctant to agree to being depicted in thesculpture. “We are not the heroes”, theyprotested with typical modesty. “The fire-fighters who died trying to save others werethe real heroes.” Sculptor Stan Wattsexplained that the monument honored theact of raising the flag, hence the title, “HopeRising”. The three men had raised a flag tohonor their fellows, and the photograph ofthat simple act did indeed raise a nation’shopes. Many thousands have visited themonument since its unveiling.
Every day visitors walked through theordered rows of flags in the Healing Field® asthey read the name tags of the victims hon-ored. Talking with Colonial Flag Foundationstaff members, they all had a story to tell:
where they were when they heard, whomthey had lost, and who was saved. Smiles,tears, and hugs characterized the emotionsshared.
After dark, a steady line of cars circled thefield and monument. By street lights andflood lights the images of healing shonebrightly against the backdrop of night. Theweather was generally mild and clear, buteven a sudden rain and windstorm failed todeter visitors. They continued their pilgrim-age despite the onset of foul weather.
The Utah Healing Field® continued todraw visitors until it was taken down on thefollowing Wednesday, 13 September 2011.Over 100,000 people viewed the flag display.They walked among the flags reading thename tags attached to each staff. The com-munities of Northern Utah’s Wasatch Frontcame together to honor and remember thevictims lost in the terrorist attacks of tenyears ago. The Healing Field® lived up to itsname.
PHOTOS: John Hartvigsen
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NAVA One-for-One Membership Drive
Increasing our membership is vital to the growth ofNAVA, providing us with the financial and humanresources to promote vexillology.
We are asking every current NAVA member to inviteone person to become a new NAVA member. Whenyour invitee joins, please ask them to mention yourname as their sponsor. You will then be added to ourMembership Drive Honor Roll.
Our membership drive will continue until our nextannual meeting in October 2012. The Honor Roll willthen be published in NAVA News, and everyone on theMembership Drive Honor Roll will be entered in adrawing to receive one of three free 2013 NAVA mem-berships (funded by private donors).
Thank you for participating and for helping topromote NAVA!
The NAVA Membership Committee,Mary Ann Docktor-Smith, chair
West Florida, 1810
By DAVE MARTUCCI
One should always assume there is “lost” infor-mation that can change the way we look atthings. Take the flag of West Florida, for exam-ple.
West Florida included parts of the modernU.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi, andAlabama, from the Mississippi River eastwardsto the Perdido River. In 1810 that area becamethe independent Republic of West Florida, andmuch of it was soon annexed by the UnitedStates, which claimed it as a part of theLouisiana Purchase.
It is usually stated that the flag of theRepublic of West Florida, traditionallydescribed as a blue field with one white star,was the inspiration for the later “Bonnie BlueFlag” bearing a single star that heralded thecreation of the Confederacy in 1861.
However, research into old news accountshas revealed a slightly different design for theflag of the Republic of West Florida. Accordingto the Virginia Argus of 27 November 1810(right), the flag was seen in Baton Rouge andwas described as “Blue with a white border, anda large Star in the centre”. Nowhere have Iever seen a reference to a white border on thisflag!
Of course this raises the question of its con-nection with the Bonnie Blue Flag. Might it bethat some later historian simply speculated thatbecause the two designs were identical theremust be some connection between them?Maybe not after all…what do you think?
West Florida, 1810
Dave Martucci is a past president of NAVA
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 9
NEW FLAG
United Confederation ofTaino People, New York
By DON HEALY
The Taíno were the first indigenous people ofthe western hemisphere to encounterChristopher Columbus in 1492, becoming thefirst in the Americas to be called “Indios/Indians”. To themselves, they were “Taíno”,which means “good people” in their ancientlanguage.
Unfortunately these people also became thefirst to suffer oppression, colonization, andgenocide at the hands of the Spanish. Whilealmost written out of history, Taíno descendantscontinued to survive throughout the Caribbeanas well as throughout their diaspora.
The United Confederation of Taíno People(UCTP) was founded in 1998 to provide anopportunity for the Taíno to unify aroundissues of mutual concern. Since its establish-ment the confederation continues to be a veri-fiable pioneer advocating for the dignity andrights of the Taíno and other indigenousCaribbean peoples. The confederation’s workhas recognized at the territorial and nationalgovernmental level. The UCTP has interactedon the intergovernmental level in forums suchas those held by the United Nations and theOrganization of American States. The confed-eration has reestablished the old communica-tions networks across the Caribbean through aseries of indigenous to indigenous treaties.Beyond the Caribbean, the UCTP is an affiliateof the International Indian Treaty Council. Ithas received recognition from the territorialgovernment of the Commonwealth of PuertoRico and by the state senate of the State ofNew York.
As the confederation was being formed, adiscussion around a contemporary “symbol” ofunity developed. While some members sug-gested using an ancient symbol from theirancestral past, others felt that the developmentof a new symbol/design based on ancient spiri-tual values would better represent the Tainotoday. A consensus of the UCTP leadershipdecided to put out a call for such a design
symbol to the Taino communities on and off theislands. Among a number of entries received,the design considered to best represent theideals of the emerging confederation was ahand-drawn symbol created by communitymember Marie “Nanamaguey” Crooke.
This design, selected before the ratificationof the UCTP’s 1998 Declaration and Articles ofConfederation, was later further fine-tuned forgraphic reproduction by community memberJoe Leon.
The logo incorporates a circular device witha central disk and a large border ring. The cen-tral element rests on a yellow backdrop withfour small red dots, one located in each of thefour prime directions. Within it lies a rectangu-lar figure in light brown with small squaresprojecting from the top and bottom. It appearsto represents a human with outstretched armsand legs with a red head.
The outer ring is a series of light and darkblue wavy lines representing the CaribbeanSea. Interspersed around this ring are sixtrapezoid-like white forms; each bears a redtriangle with its apex pointing toward the innerdisk.
According to Roberto Mukaro Borrero, pres-ident of the UCTP, “The colorful circular designrepresents our people, blessed by the sun,reaching out in every sacred direction acrossthe waters to all the islands and lands whereour relatives can be found. The symbol isplaced on a light blue background to reinforceour spiritual connection to the Caribbean Seaand the ocean waters that—like the earth—isconsidered our Mother.”
Don Healy is a past president of NAVA and co-authorof Native American Flags
10 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
BOOK REVIEW
A Cheerful NewFlag Book
By TED KAYE
Many of us like to give flag books asgifts to those who don’t yet fullyunderstand why flags appeal to us.Here’s one that merits a place in the“gift drawer”.
New Wave is not the typical flagbook—a compilation of flags of the worldarranged by country. While it devotes a fewpages in the back to documenting nationalflags and some sub-national sets (Brazil,Canada, Spain, U.S.A.), it is more a bookabout flags. Sections cover: The History ofthe Flag, Colours, National Flag Stories,Twentieth Century Flags, Flag Families,Religious Flags, Protest Flags, FlagEtiquette, Flags at Sea, Sports Flags,Popular Culture, Sovereign Flags, and FlagTerms.
A pocket-sized paperback, New Waveuses a bold graphic style with large blocksof color and a very dynamic layout. Itwould engage both a younger reader andan adult. It has color on every page. While
a Britishbook, hardlyany aspectsof it wouldjar anAmerican orCanadianreader. Andthough afactual quib-ble or twocould becited, it iswell-researchedand quiteaccurate.
Interestingly, noauthor is credited, as ifthe book were a teameffort at its Londonpublishing house.
Black DogPublishing describes itself as focusing on“architecture, art, design, fashion, history,photography, theory, and things”, giving it adifferent perspective from the usual pub-lishers of flag books.
New Wave is part a compilation of flagtrivia, part a mini-reference book, and parta series of short articles on several flag-related topics. The fun section on FictionalFlags probably makes it the only flag bookwith an illustration of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock.In a shout-out to vexillologists, the flag ofFIAV (the International Federation ofVexillological Associations) appears amongthe International Flags.
Its own blurb correctly says “Spanninggeography, politics, history, culture, design,and art and presented in an accessible andrefreshing format, New Wave is an enter-taining exploration of the diversity of flags,as well as the rituals and communicationaspects that inform them.”
Black Dog Publishing is offering NAVAmembers a 40% discount off the regularprice of US$15.00 for New Wave: FactsAbout Flags.
To order at the discounted price ofUS$9.00 (£4.77 for customers outside theU.S.) plus postage, send an email [email protected] with your deliv-ery address and quoting ‘NAVA Offer’ asthe subject heading. You will then receivethe book with an invoice (payment can bemade via check or credit card).
NEW WAVEFACTS ABOUT FLAGS
Black Dog Publishing (2011)5”x7”, Full color, 144 pagesISBN: 978-1-907317-30-9
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 11
New Members for 2011The Executive Board thanks those who renewedtheir membership during the past year, and welcomes these new members for 2011:
Neil Abelsma, Quantico, VirginiaKourtney Bailey, Tacoma, Washington
(Flags A Flying)Jason LeRoy Bates, Provo, UtahTiago Berg, Cordeirópolis, São Paolo, BrazilPeter Bielak, Silver Spring, MarylandJoseph Bonafede, Bay Shore, New YorkGregory Boomgard, Layton, UtahTony Burton, Milsons Point, NSW, AustraliaBen Cahoon, Arlington, VirginiaJohn Caskey, Spokane, WashingtonBarry Cosgriff, Golden Valley, MinnesotaLoreen Finkelstein, Williamsburg, VirginiaVincent Florentino, Stratford, ConnecticutPatrick Genna, Portland, OregonDeborah Halver-Hanson, Underwood, WashingtonKenneth J. Hartvigsen, Brighton, MassachusettsLawrence Hay, Littleton, ColoradoClayton Horner, Eureka, CaliforniaStephen Kellert, New Haven, ConnecticutDavid R. Koski, West Linn, OregonMarion Mainwaring, Framingham, MassachusettsStanley Max, Ph.D., Towson, MarylandJustin May, Ocala, Florida
(The Flag Factory)Bill Schroeder, Finksburg, Maryland
(Genuine American Flag Company)Todd Sentell, Alpharetta, GeorgiaClyde Simpson, Cleveland Heights, OhioRene Smith-Tomczak, Littleton, Colorado
(Rocky Mountain Flag Company)Gwen Spicer, Delmar, New YorkPaul Swenson, Sandy, Utah
(Colonial Flag)Philip Tibbetts, Preston, Lancashire, United KingdomHoward Wilk, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaJackson Will, Bethesda, MarylandCatherine Wright, Richmond, Virginia
(Museum of the Confederacy)Ben Zaricor, Soquel, California
Emblems of the Indian States:A NAVA Membership BenefitThrough a special arrangement with the Flag HeritageFoundation, NAVA is pleased to share a new book withevery member.
Emblems of the Indian States, an original 75-pagemonograph by David F. Phillips, accompanies this issue ofNAVA News as a benefit of NAVA membership.
It is the secondin the foundation’sMonograph andTranslation Series,which aims to makeavailable flag schol-arship on rare orobscure subjects andto translate publica-tions only availablein less-accessiblelanguages.
The first in theseries was TheEstonian Flag:A Hundred Years of the Blue-Black-White by Dr. Karl Aun,translated from the original 1984 edition in Estonian.
The Flag Heritage Foundation was founded in 1971 inMassachusetts. Among its directors are NAVA membersScot Guenter and David Phillips.
Raven 18 DelayedThe volunteers researching the next volume of Raven,Canadian City Flags, are continuing their work, andpublication is expected in 2012.
Call for Articles for Raven 19Raven seeks material for its 2012 volume and beyond. Proposedarticles should be from 300 to 5,000 words and present newscholarly findings relating to flags. Send the text and images oncomputer disk in Word or Word Perfect (no Mac) with images asseparate jpeg files, along with a paper copy and any associatedphotographs or figures, to: Ted Kaye, Raven editor, 2235 N.W.Aspen Ave., Portland, OR 97210-1218.Use a minimum of formatting and do not embed graphics or foot-notes. All articles will be reviewed for acceptance by the RavenEditorial Board and may be edited for length, style, consistency,and clarity. Authors will sign a publication agreement and copy-right will vest in NAVA. The deadline for submission for considera-tion in the 2012 review cycle is 15 February 2012.Contact [email protected] with questions.
12 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
NAVA News wants your articlesand other vexi-news from aroundNorth AmericaNearly all of the content of NAVA News comprises contributionsfrom NAVA members and others in the vexi-community. We’re always looking for short articles, news about members’vexillological activities, photos, pictures, and descriptions of newand interesting flags, etc. To submit an item for publication,please contact the editor, Peter Ansoff, at [email protected] publication schedule is:
Deadline for ApproximateIssue No. Submissions “In the Mail” Date213 31 January . . . . 20 March 2012214 30 April . . . . . . 20 June 2012215 31 July . . . . . . 20 September 2012216 31 October . . . 20 December 2012
Don't wait—get started now on that article you’vebeen meaning to write!
The NAVA Chat GroupNAVA’s Chat Group has passed a significant milestone. Since its founding in January 2006, over 2,000 messageshave been posted to it. Its goal is to keep up an active and constant exchange of information among the membersof NAVA. It is part of Yahoogroups and membership is open to any NAVA member who agrees to follow the rules.
To join is easy—just visit www.yahoogroups.com and enter navaflags (one word, lower-case). You will needa Yahoo ID and password, but that’s free. You can receive the chat e-mails at your own e-mail address or you canchat on the website. Soon you’ll be interacting with NAVA members all over the continent (and overseas) aboutflag subjects that interest you.
We look forward to evolving a strong and vibrant cyber-vexi-community. For more information or a copy of thechat group rules, please contact Gus Tracchia at: [email protected].
Dues Reminder!NAVA memberships run on a calendar-year basis, nomatter when in a year a member joined.
All dues are payable 1 January for the full year;memberships lapse on 31 March if dues are not paid.
Please check your mailing label—it shows the yearthrough which your dues are paid.
You can pay your NAVA membership dues viawww.PayPal.com to [email protected] (more and moremembers are choosing this option), or by check to theNAVA P.O. box, or go to www. nava.org. & click the“Renew” link in the upper right of the home page.
Dues for 2012 remain the same: Regular (active):$40, Student (associate): $20, Commercial (organiza-tional): $60, Subscription: $40. You can pay for multi-ple years at once and simplify your bookkeeping—many members do!
Honor Roll of NAVA ContributorsDecember 2010—November 2011NAVA gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions of its members and friends.Their support makes NAVA programs and publications possible.
Contributors to theNAVA Annual FundPhil AllenPeter AnsoffJames F. BabcockBarry CosgriffLarry S. "MOAT" FriendJay H. Ginsburg, esq.Scot GuenterDonald HollandTed KayeRichard F. Kehrberg
Richard S. KelchnerGerard McCaveraScott MainwaringHenry W. MoellerRev. Michael B. SmithSteven C. Wheatley
Contributor to theDevereaux CannonReseach FundCRW Flags, Inc.
Contributors to theFlag Conservation FundWalter C. BraunschweigRichard T. ClarkRev. Richardson LibbyByron C. LoneyRick MageeJohn D. McGlynnGilbert Vegas
Contributors toNAVA 45 / ICV 24Peter AnsoffHugh L. BradyCRW Flags, Inc.Ted KayeJohn A. Lowe
Contributors to the2011 Driver Award[See NAVA News #211]
NAVA News · No. 212 · October–December 2011 · 13
FLAG HUMOR
A flag-based commentary onthe contemporary economic
situation in Europe.
Artist: Canary Pete.Used by license from
www.CartoonStock.com.
Flag of Michael Riedel, Billings, Montana
Members are encouraged to send in their personal flag designs for inclusion inthe NAVA Member Flag Registry. Send your photos, drawings, and descrip-tions to [email protected], or mail to: Member Flag Registry,1977 N. Olden Av.e Ext. PMB 225, Trenton NJ 08618-2193, USA, or post themdirectly to the Member Database.
Vexillo.org, a new social networking site for flag enthusiasts and vexillologists.
Vexillo.org aims to connect flag enthusiasts from the US and around the world in an interactive community.Members can make their own profiles, post photos/flag images, post upcoming events, chat with each other, andpost blogs and videos. Vexillo.org will facilitate communications and interests of vexillologists around the world.Members can even create their own regional, local, and flag-specific groups. Visit Vexillo.org today!
Javier Hernandez, President/CEO of MetroFlags and Founder, Vexillo.org
MEMBER FLAG
A Howling Good Flag
Michael Riedel’s nickname is Wolfdog406, he was born inthe year of the dog, and he “loves the K9 species of ani-mals”. All these explaing the howling wolf as the majorcharge on his flag. The blues of the stripes represent the dif-ferent colors of the sky. The tricolor design is inspired by thedesign of the German flag to recall his German ancestry. Inaddition, the red, white, and dark blue represent the colorsof the American Flag, where he lives. He also used the samethree shades of blue in his proposed flag for the state ofMontana. He is also heavily involved in an effort to upgradethe design of the flag of the city of Billings.
14 · October–December 2011 · No. 212 · NAVA News
North AmericanVexillological Association1977 N. Olden Ave. Ext. PMB 225Trenton NJ 08618-2193 USA
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PLEASE CHECK YOUR LABEL!If the “Paid Through” date is 2011 orearlier, it’s time to renew for 2012.Pay your NAVA membership dues viawww.PayPal.com to [email protected] orby check to the NAVA P.O. Box.Thank you!
NAVA 46 5-7 Oct. 2012Columbus Ohio
Mark your calendars…theGreat Waters Association ofVexillology will host the 46thAnnual Meeting of NAVA inColumbus, Ohio 5–7 October2012.
The venue will be theColumbus Renaissance Hotel at50 North Third Street in down-
town Columbus. The hotel is two blocks from the OhioState House and a short walk from the Short North ArtsDistrict and Arena District. The Port Columbus Airportis only 20 minutes away with shuttle service available.
The room rate is $130 per night with parking avail-able for $23 per day. Additional details and a tentativeschedule will be in the next issue of NAVA News. Youcan make your room reservations online at:https://resweb.passkey.com/go/navaannualmtg1012 orby phone at 800-266-9432.
We look forward to seeing everyone in Columbus. The NAVA 46 Organizing CommitteeDavid Breitenbach, chair
