HomeVexiBits 2023

Vexibits of the Month 2023

This page promotes the enjoyment of flags and the interesting stories behind them. Other flags will have no stories and will have to speak for themselves. Each month we feature an unusual flag or two, how they came to be, and their histories. Please enjoy these flags and the stories as we do...

Send Vexibits suggestions to Pete Loeser, Website Editor — webeditor@nava.org

VexiBits for December 2023 — New State of Minnesota Flag Approved

Minnesota has adopted a new flag with a dark blue stylization of the state's shape, bearing an eight-pointed North Star, alongside a light blue field. The State Emblems Redesign Commission selected the flag after months of work and examining more than 2,000 designs submitted. The flag becomes official on May 11, 2024, Minnesota Statehood Day.

The flag features a white 8-pointed North star on a dark blue shape suggesting Minnesota. The flag’s light blue field represents the state’s waters, according to the commission.

"We are the state of ten thousand lakes after all, and it is an important part of our identity," one commission member pointed out.

The previous design of the Minnesota state flag (on right) has been criticized for both its lack of originality and its depiction of Indigenous Americans. Critics have long taken issue with the state’s seal and flag over its depiction of a Native American on horseback at the center of the seal, which is viewed by some to be a reference to the displacement of Native people throughout Minnesota’s history. The 1957 flag also was criticized because it was just another governmental "seal on a bedsheet" design so often seen in other state and department flags, especially when seen from a distance. This led the Minnesota state legislature to pass a bill in May 2023 to redesign both the flag and the state seal.

Shown to the right are the three finalist design concepts. Andrew Prekker, from Luverne, submitted the winning concept (center) and said the North Star was most important to his design. His design include three stripes: green for nature, white for snow, and blue for the

water for which Minnesota is known. Ultimately the star was simplified to the "Minnesota Star" that graces the floor of the capitol rotunda, and the stripes were replaced with a solid light blue field for symmetry and simplification.
NAVA members participated in the process. Minnesotans Bill Becker and Lee Herold had campaigned for 30 years to change the state flag, promoting their "North Star Flag". Other local members monitored the commission proceedings, and some submitted designs. Ted Kaye briefed commission members on flag design precepts as they began their work and spoke frequently to the media. Brian Cham and Alan Hardy provided commentary to the commission on improvements to the finalist designs. And the commission's website linked to NAVA's "Good" Flag, "Bad" Flag as a key resource.

VexiBits for November 2023 — Mardi Gras Flags

Mardi Gras is a French tradition of formal balls (fancy dances called Krewes) and costumed parades celebrated in different places around the world. It is not one event but a "Carnival Season" of Christian celebration (February and March). In most places it usually begins on King's Day (or 12th Night) and extends until midnight before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent). The best-known Mardi Gras celebration in the United States is held in New Orleans, but other Mardi Gras events are celebrated throughout southern Louisiana.

Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French. It is the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday. During Mardi Gras “Krewe” balls are held, both private and public with "Kings" and "Queens" chosen for the events. The tradition for all this dates back to the wealthy old families and their courts introducing their debutantes.

The parades in New Orleans are organized by social clubs also calling themselves krewes. Most of these modern parades follow the same parade schedule and route each year. Float riders traditionally toss “throws” into the crowds. Throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons, throw cups, and small inexpensive toys.

Carnival season activities on Bourbon Street are popular, although major parades also originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter. These re-colored Stars and Stripes flags are examples of another popular group of Mardi Gras flags.

Mardi Gras Battle Flag

Naturally a huge number of commercial flags and banners help celebrate Mardi Gras activities. Some are simple in design while others are much more complex.
There is no "official" Mardi Gras flag. However, all flags use the well-established set of Mardi
Gras colors - shades of purple, yellow and green.

Nueva Orleans Running of the Bulls

To avoid confusion the Nueva Orleans Running of the Bulls is New Orleans' version of the El Encierro in Pamplona, Spain, except costumed roller derby skaters playfully chase the runners with wiffle bats instead of actual bulls being involved. The Nueva Orleans Running of the Bulls takes place every July in the Warehouse District of New Orleans and includes four days of fun events. Although the Nueva Orleans Running of the Bulls began during the Mardi Gras, it is no longer associated with it. Learn more on YouTube.

VexiBits for October 2023 — Flags for Cultural Appalachia

The Appalachian Mountains run north-south along the east coast of the United States stretching from the Island of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Quebec in Canada in the north to central Alabama in the United States in the south. The U.S. uses the term "Appalachian Highlands" to describe them and in Canada they are called the "Appalachian Uplands". The highest peak in the range is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina—at 6,684 feet it the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is the oldest mountain range in the United States and runs for over 2,050 miles.

The mountain range exists as a separate physiographic and cultural region in both the United States and Canada. Over the years there have been several attempts to find a way for Appalachia to get some sort of regional recognition and this, of course, would include a regional flag. The flag on the left is championed by the Appalachian Alliance. It was designed by Secundino Fernandez (a NAVA member). The flag on the right is a product of the Appalachian Flag Company.

Further attempts to establish a flag to represent the Appalachian Region beyond its politically imposed borders are seen at the left and right. The one on the left exists but is not being marketed. The stripe colors are blue for the sky, green for the forest and mountains, and black for the natural coal deposits. The design on the right was finalized in 2023 after over a year of discussion and submissions collected by the Appalachian Flag Initiative.

Only the one on the right is commercially available. This design was chosen from a list of six finalists in an online vote and it received the vast majority of the votes. The design was placed under Creative Commons to make it available to Appalachians interested in representing their region.

This last flag is for the Appalachian Trail itself, claimed to be the longest "hiking-only" trail in the world. It runs almost 2,200 miles between

Mount Katahdin in Maine and Springer Mountain in Georgia and passes through 14 states. More than three million people hike segments of the trail each year. The trail was first proposed in 1921 and completed in 1937. It became the Appalachian National Scenic Trail under the National Trails System Act of 1968. The trail is maintained by 31 trail clubs and managed by the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Now that deserves a flag, doesn't it?

VexiBits for September 2023 — Indians of All Tribes Protest on Alcatraz Island 1969–1971

The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie suggested that if any governmental property became surplus the Sioux could claim it. When a Sioux social worker living in the San Francisco Bay Area learned that the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay was to be closed and given to the City of San Francisco, it seemed the treaty provision might apply. Between November of 1969 and June of 1971, a group of American Indian activists and supporters occupied Alcatraz Island. The 19-month-long protest was meant to raise public awareness to the violations of civil rights experienced by Native Americans. The protesters came at the invitation of the leaders of Indians of All Tribes (IAT) movement—Richard Oakes, Adam Fortunate Eagle Nordwall, and John Trudell. Three flags, possibly four, were used during the occupation of the island. The first two were one-of-a-kind hand-made flags made with materials available on the island. The third was a more commercial flag made especially for the protest. The fourth, also commercially made, was that of the Blackfoot Nation. All were flown there at one time or another during protest.

IAT Mock Trial Flag

The colorized flag at left is from the mock trial of the U.S. government held by the protesters. According to Time Magazine in an article headlined New Flag Over Alcatraz, the protestors "...raised their own flag over Alcatraz: a broken peace pipe and crimson tepee emblazoned on a field of azure." A picture of the Dock Guard Tower Flag, taken by a Swedish photographer in July of 1970, showed a second IAT flag (at right) with a red tepee and red broken peace pipe on a white field, bordered in red.

IAT Dock Tower Flag

Old Glory's Helper Flag

The third was "Old Glory's Helper", a commercial flag flown from one of the guard towers. It was designed by Lulie Nall, a Penobscot Indian who spent years after the protest (until her death in 1983) promoting it as an American Indian symbol for the protest. This third flag is an "associated flag" and flown for an undetermined time on the island; it had no direct connection to the Indians of All Tribes movement. On January 5, 1970, the San Francisco Chronicle published a picture of the Old Glory's Helper flag with Nall on the island and credited her as its designer.

Joe Lonewalker Morris, a Blackfoot longshoreman who joined the occupation in 1969, doesn't recall Nall's flag, but said he did bring a blue Blackfoot Nation flag of his own to the protest. However, this was unverified by any contemporary photographic evidence. However, between 10,000 and 15,000 supporters spent time on Alcatraz during the occupation and some may have come with flags their own.

The four illustrated here only represent a small number among the possibilities that might exist undocumented or photographed. As you read this, NAVA vexillologists such as Jim Ferrigan and Bill Trinkle are researching the flags of the Indians of All Tribes Protest on Alcatraz Island.

Blackfoot Nation Flag

Vexibits for August 2023 —Ten Oldest National Flags: A Quiz

These ten flags represent the ten oldest recorded designs of national flags still in use. Test yourselves first and see how many you can name; they have been around for some time. Once you have done so, you can read a little about each one below.

Dates back to ca. 1219

Officially documented in 1230

First used ca. 1279

Late 13th century (ca. 1286)

First used ca. 1318

Many of these flags' origins are shrouded in myths, legends, and traditions. The Japanese, for example, consider 660 BC to be their country’s founding date and claim they were using a sun-motif flag as early as AD 701. This would make it the oldest in the world. However, this history is disputed outside of Japan. The oldest existing Japanese flag dates back to the late 15th century.

First used ca. 1443

First used ca. 1470

First used ca. 1562

First used ca. 1572

First used in early 16th century

Spoiler Alert: Test yourself before reading this. The flags are listed below in the order of their age. The phrase "still in use" is critical.

1. The modern Denmark Flag was formally adopted in 1625 but in actual use by ca. 1219. It is widely considered to be the oldest existing national flag still in use in the world. Officially, the flag is known as Dannebrog. Did you know the Dannebrog was banned by the government for public use in 1834, but so many Danes disobeyed the law and continued to openly display the flag, the ban was officially lifted in 1854? Power to the people.

2. Austria's flag was documented in use by 1230, but only formally adopted in 1918. The red-white-red tricolored flag uses the colors of the medieval Babenberg dynasty. The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves.

3. Latvia's red and white flag dates back to 1279 but only was formally adopted in 1918 with the collapse of Imperial Germany and was then used until the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940. It was re-adopted in 1990 following the collapse of the USSR.

4. Many like to claim that the Scottish saltire is the oldest flag, dating back to AD 832. According to legend, the Scottish king Angus Mac Fergus prayed for a victory against the invading Angles. On the morning of the battle, clouds appeared forming a white diagonal cross against the blue sky like the one that Saint Andrew was crucified on. They consider this the actual date that the Scottish first adopted the white saltire. There is no evidence to support this early date, but the saltire was definitely in use by 1286.

5. While the current national flag of Norway has been in use since 1821, the Kongeflagget, or Royal Standard of Norway, dates back to 1318 (possibly earlier, around 1280). It was formally adopted in 1905.

6. The Albanian flag, or Flamuri Kombëtar, with its black double-headed eagle, dates back to the Middle Ages—and earlier, to the banner of the Byzantine Empire. Its first use in Albania was by the noble families about 1443 (possibly earlier). It was formally adopted in 1912. During the 1990s, the Albanian flag was used as the symbol of the unofficial Republic of Kosova, a self-declared state in Kosovo.

7. The white cross on the red flag of Switzerland has been in use since 1470, but it was formally adopted in 1889. The flag of Switzerland is one of only two square sovereign state flags in the world, the other is Vatican City's. Although officially the flag is square, Swiss ships, boats, and non-government bodies often fly a rectangular version. It is interesting that the Swiss founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, used a direct inverse of the Swiss national flag as the Red Cross Flag.

8. Although formally adopted in 1906, the Swedish flag dates back to 1562. According to legend, the golden cross against a blue background was first used by King Eric IX, who supposedly saw a golden cross appear in the sky as he landed in Finland during the First Swedish Crusade in 1157. The first legal description of the flag with a yellow cross on a blue background dates to 1562, and before that apparently the cross was white. The use of the Nordic cross design isn't surprising when one considers that both Norway and Denmark were under one rule between 1524 -1533 and 1537-1814.

9. The flag of the Netherlands dates back to 1572 when used by William Prince of Orange in the Dutch Revolt against King Philip II of Spain. This tricolor flag was originally orange, white, and blue, but the top orange strip was changed to red sometime after 1630. It is considered the oldest tricolor in continuous use in the world. Dutch sports enthusiasts have embraced the use of the older orange, white, and blue variant at sporting events and the Olympics.

10. The Japanese white flag with red sun disk is, of course, one of the most recognizable national flags being used today and it ends out our little quiz of the ten oldest national flags. Since it has already been discussed, not much has been added here. How'd you do on the quiz?

Vexibits for July 2023 — Repurposed Protest Flags used in Serbia

Normally our July Vexibits would feature flags celebrating the Fourth of July (U.S. Independence Day), but instead, the use of repurposed flags as protest vehicles has our attention. For example, take some flags reportedly used during protest demonstrations in Serbia. Our vexillological colleague in Serbia, Tomislav Todorović, was happy to provide insights and information about examples used in his homeland. He also provided us with drawings of the discussed flags he provided Flags of the World. In his own words:

"The Formula One racing team of the car manufacturer Ferrari is one of the most popular teams worldwide. Its fans worldwide use red flags with the team emblem, a yellow shield bearing a black rampant horse and the initials SF, which stand for Scuderia Ferrari (Ferrari Stable). Black and white chequered borders, derived from the flag which signifies the end of a motor race, are often added to the basic design."

"The variant presented here was used by some fans from Belgrade, Serbia, during the 1996–97 protests against the election steal, which was performed by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic as the imposed repeating of local elections wherever the opposition had won, in order to force the desirable results. The flag owner and his friends had intended to use the flag as a rallying point of their own, but it quickly attracted media attention and, after the protesters in general were accused of "waving the foreign flags" by the pro-regime media, inspired the subsequent use of numerous foreign national flags (such as Greece, UK, USA, Germany and Italy), all in accordance with the protests' motto Beograd je svet (Belgrade is the world)."

"The same flag was used again on several occasions in Belgrade during the 2000s and 2010s, as well as during the ongoing protests against the increasing violence in the society and its promotion by the pro-regime media, which were triggered by two mass murders which took place in Belgrade and the neighboring municipality of Mladenovac in May this year. This last reappearance of the flag has attracted a great media attention, recalling its original use."

"In the comics and other media, flags are sometimes attributed to the superheroes. One of best-known examples is Superman, whose blue flag, derived from his costume, is bearing his well-known emblem in red and yellow."

"A variant of this flag, with the emblem centered vertically and set closer to the hoist, has been used at those Belgrade protests. It has been carried by the members of a political organization named Solidarity Political Platform (Politička platforma Solidarnost), who explained that it was chosen due to Superman being a symbol of the fight for justice and against violence. In addition to that, the letter S, the main part of the Superman emblem, is also the initial letter of Serbian words for solidarity (solidarnost), freedom (sloboda), and alliance (savezništvo)."

We thank Toma for contributing his interesting insights and illustrations.

Vexibits for June 2023 — K9 Veterans, Pension Reform, and Sault Ste. Marie

This month we offer three unusual flags for your consideration. One design for the dogs, literally. One is an unhappily defaced national flag, and one offers a design that just will not quite fit on a standard 1:2 ratio flag.

It is believed that dogs do not see the color red, so a special yellow, white, and blue Stars and Stripes was created and raised at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City in 2019. (Dogs can see white, yellow, and blue.) It was created to commemorate the service and sacrifices of the more than 30,000 working dogs who served in the United States military since 1942. The design was a collaboration between Project K-9 Hero and DreamBone rawhide-free dog chews.
Thus far the dogs have not commented.

An interesting flag used in the ongoing protests against pension reform in France was noticed by vexillologist Tomislav Todorovic. The flag is derived from the national flag by adding this large frowning face symbol, drawn in black, to the center of the white field of the French National Tricolor. Truly an unhappy French flag.

The flag below it is that of the city of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada. The city council approved a fresh new design for the city flag in January of 2016, in conjunction with the 104th anniversary of the city's incorporation. The design provides a cautionary lesson in flag design.

The flag is actually designed in a wave shape (as illustrated on the left), however, it is printed on a rectangular banner for cost purposes (as illustrated on the right). The design of the flag actually ends at the gold outlines. The white areas in the top left and bottom right of the flag actually aren't part of the flag design, yet most Sault Ste. Marie flag now used incorporates the white areas when displayed. Long may it wave.

Vexibits for May 2023 — Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May, and it is the day Americans celebrate their military. This year it falls on May 20th. Unlike Veterans Day, which honors those who served our nation at war, and unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died during a war, Armed Forces Day honors all of the men and women who have ever served, past and present.

So, the question is what flags can be flown for Armed Forces Day? Two interesting flags are now being marketed, one that attempts to honor all five "traditional" recognized branches and one that recognizes six U.S. military branches with the addition of the United States Space Force.

Since Armed Forces Day is the day to honor all who currently serve and all who have served, both active and former, there are flags honoring those serving in the United States Army Reserve and National Guard. The main point here is you can support any U.S. military branch and/or service, whether active or not, in your Armed Forces Day flag display. These are obviously not your only choices.

Vexibits for April 2023 — Earth Day Flag Possibilities

Earth Day is now an annual event, held April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. At a 1969 UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. The first was held on April 22, 1970 and each year it adopts a special theme to celebrate the Earth. This year the official theme is "Invest In Our Planet" and will include activities for over 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

Many flags have been designed to celebrate Earth Day; we have featured some of them in past issues of Vexibits. For example in the VexiBits for October 2020 we featured some "Flags for the Earth and Mankind", and in the Vexibits for June 2019 we featured several environmental flags including the one design by John McConnell himself that has become the standard for Earth Day.

This year we share a few more of the most recent Earth Day and environmental flags now available. To the left is one claiming "Everyday is Earth Day!" and to the right is one called the "Planet Earth Flag".

Below is a string of Stars and Stripes variants offered to those looking for a U.S.-themed Earth Day flag.

The flag at left was marketed in the 1950s as simply the "Green and White American Flag" (and later used by the musical group Green Day) and on the right is a modern flag showing the Stars and Stripes unveiled to show the American Ecology Movement Flag (1967), an unconventional and interesting artistic approach to a flag design. Both flags are possibilities for your Earth Day flag display.

The flag on the left is not particularly an Earth Day Flag, but it is green. It comes from an American animated science fiction sitcom, Futurama, which follows the adventures of a Philip J. Fry, who was cryogenically preserved for 1,000 years and finds work at an interplanetary delivery company. The second flag is a design for running enthusiasts, featured on the "Flag Runners" website.

There are a lot of flags out there with which to celebrate Earth Day.. As the saying goes, "One Earth, One Chance", and sometimes it is good for us to remember.

Vexibits for March 2023 — The Utah Flag Drama Ends, and Erin go Braugh

For the last decade the citizens of Utah and their legislators have debated the design of their state flag. Utah's first unofficial state flag was embroidered back in 1903 for the St. Louis World's Fair. It basically has remained the same since then. It consisted of the state seal of Utah encircled in a golden circle on a background of navy blue. The gold circle encloses the state coat-of-arms. The coat-of-arms contains a beehive which has the state motto "INDUSTRY" arced above and the word "UTAH" and "1847," the year of Mormon settlement, below, and is flanked by Sego lilies, the state flower. Six arrows originate from above "INDUSTRY" and go out past the border of the shield. An eagle is perched on top of the shield, ready to take flight. The shield is flanked by United States flags on both sides, their poles crossed behind the shield, and immediately below the shield is "1896", the year of statehood. This design, officially adopted in 1913, has been the state flag until now (with some minor variation).

New State of Utah Flag 2024

A grassroots movement emerged wanting to modernize the state flag so it would be more unique and recognizable than the traditional design that looked like many other state and governmental flags, especial from a distance. What that design should be launched the drama. There followed many debates, numerous meetings, and thousands of proposed flag designs.

State of Utah Historical State Flag

In 2021 the Utah State Flag Task Force was formed and in 2022 launched the "More Than a Flag" effort, staffed by the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement. They examined over 5,700 designs submitted, received extensive public input, and as a group made a final design recommendation to the legislature. Senate Bill 31 proposed the first radical changes to the state flag in over a century. The Utah Senate voted 19-9 to approve the bill. The Utah House of Representatives passed the bill in a narrow and surprisingly contentious 40-35 vote. This put an end to the process that had taken years. Utah Governor Spencer Cox added his signature, and so on March 9, 2024, the new flag will become official, and the old flag is to be called the historical flag.
Basically, the final legislative decision has resulted in Utahns having two flags, one as their "everyday" state flag and one becoming their special "Historical State Flag" for ceremonial purposes.

In the March VexiBits in 2019 we said, "On St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish." A March Vexibits just would not be complete without a nod to the popular holiday. Erin go Braugh, a term that mixes English with Irish, is basically the anglicization of the Irish phrase, Éirinn go Brách which means "Ireland Forever." It was used on the New York Civilian Irish Support Flag of 1850. Erin go Braugh!

The question each year for vexillologists is which flag to fly on Saint Patrick's Day. We know it has to be green and gold, but which one? This year we'll suggest three designs - one modern, and two historical. On the left is the Sully's Brand Irish Logo Flag which we introduced in 2019. Sully's is a sports store long established in Boston. Each year, Sully's will include one of their flags free with any online order during the month of March, check it out. The flag on the right with the inscription "Irish Republic" was hoisted alongside the Irish tricolor over the General Post Office during the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. Éirinn go Brách!

Vexibits for February 2023 — The Changing Face of Gadsden's Flag

In 1775, Colonel Christopher Gadsden was in Philadelphia representing his home colony of South Carolina at the Continental Congress and presented this new naval flag to the Congress. It became the first flag used by the sea-going soldiers who eventually would become the United States Marines. The image of a coiled rattlesnake prepared to strike with its deadly venom underlined by the warning words "Don't Tread on Me" struck a chord that seemed just right for the future Marine Corps.

But one must imagine how surprised Christopher Gadsden would be if could see how his simple design and flag would be repurposed by modern political groups and organizations and how widespread its eventual use would be. It did indeed first see use and combat during the Revolutionary War. According to legend, it traveled with Washington's Cruisers when they put forth to sea for the first time in February of 1776 to raid the Bahamas and capture desperately needed British cannon and shot stored there. Tradition tells us that under Commodore Hopkins, who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the new Continental Navy, a similar flag with a viper crawling across a stars and stripes field was the first naval jack, but this is disputed today.* (see footnote below)

Gadsden Flag 1776

Continental Navy Jack 1775 *

Oregon 2nd Amendment Protest

Texas State Gadsden Flag

Equal Sex Marriage Flag

"Keep Fear Alive" Flag 2010

Modern uses of the menacing coiled rattlesnake with its thirteen rattles (originally representing the traditional 13 colonies) have been more numerous than can all be shown here but range from extremist groups such as the Anarcho-Capitalists/Market Anarchists to anti-gun control and 2nd Amendment groups. Political movements such as the American Tea Party (now part of the Republican Party) and the Same Sex Mariage Movement have also embraced the coiled viper symbol.

Malheur Refuge Protests 2016

Ukrainian Libertarian Flag 2022

The coiled rattlesnake symbol has also become a favorite symbol for adding a little humor at times. At the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" (October 30, 2010) on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., we saw a "Keep Fear Alive" Protest Flag. Between January 2 and February 11, 2016, a group of armed activists and militiamen protesting the "prosecution" of two ranchers took over a remote federal wildlife refuge office at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the rural southeastern corner of Oregon near Burns. As food became scarce, they raised a "Send Snacks" message out with a Gadsden flag.

One of the newest political groups to put the symbol to work is the Ukrainian Libertarian Party. They are a group of American, Ukrainian and other volunteers attempting to provide non-military suplies for Ukrainian victims of the current war.

* There is little evidence that the so-called First Navy Jack was flown by Commodore Hopkins in 1775, or that it even existed during the American Revolution, according to flag historian Peter Ansoff. See "The First Navy Jack", Raven 11

Vexibits for January 2023 — Strange All Black or White Stars and Stripes

A recent discussion on the Flags of the World List was about the use of very strange "protest" or "message" flags gaining popularity by some Americans in recent years. They are flags that break one of the basic rules of good flag design. Their design isn't clear and when the flags are seen from any distance seem to be plain black or white with no design at all.

Vexillologist Randy Young related that when he first saw one of the variants, he thought it was a plain black flag but then noticed that when it moved in the breeze, he could make out the stitched outlines of the stars and the stripes. Another well-known vexillologist Tomislav Todorovic reported that recently, this design has enjoyed a small surge of popularity prompting a number of online shops to include it in their offerings. He reports these flags are especially favored by the ultra-rightists who now falsely claim that all-black flags were used in the Civil War to indicate that no surrender would be accepted.

Apparently, this modern extremist revision of history has been expanded to claim these imaginary black flags were "no quarter" flags signifying that no prisoners would be taken but killed instead.

An example of an all-white flag being used to convey a message would be the two white flags mysteriously hoisted on the Brooklyn Bridge to replace the conventual stars and stripes in 2014. In this case these two "white" flags turned out to be bleached U.S. flags.
After a three-week investigation it turned out that two German artists, Mischa Leinkauf and Matthias Wermke, had switched the flags. The day they chose was the anniversary of the death of the designer of the bridge in 1869, the German-born John Roebling.

The NAVA Vexibits of the Month Archives

Vexibits 2023 marks the sixth year that our monthly Vexibits of the Month feature has appeared on the NAVA website, and we invite you to visit the past postings that are being archived for your enjoyment. These pages continue to promote the enjoyment of flags and provide the interesting stories behind them. Please enjoy these flags and their stories as we do...

Have an interesting flag or story to share? Send those Vexibits suggestions to Pete Loeser, our Website Editor — webeditor@nava.org