Friday, October 16, 2009

Wave that flag hoss!

St. Louis has a cool flag.

"The design submitted by Professor Emeritus Theodore Sizer, Pursuivant of Arms at Yale university, and now on file in the office of the City register is approved, adopted and designated as the official flag of the City. The flag with a solid red background has two broad heraldic wavy bars, colored blue and white, extending from the left top and bottom corners toward left center where they join and continue as one to the center right edge. This symbolizes the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Over the point of confluence a round golden disk upon which is the fleur-de-lis of France (blue) calling attention to the French background of the early city and more particularly to St. Louis of France for whom the City is named. The golden disk represents the City and/or the Louisiana Purchase. (Heraldically, the disk is a "bezant" or Byzantine coin signifying, money or simply purchase.)
The flag's colors recall those of Spain (red and yellow or gold), Bourbon France (white and gold), Napoleonic and Republican France (blue, white and red), and the United States of America (red, white, and blue)." Here's my source.
But my favorite might be the mighty flag of Belleville, Illinois; a place my parents raised me for 19 years. Belleville is a fascinating city, one that I hope to profile soon in a post I'm working on. But until then, I've just got to appreciate that sweet looking flag:

This adopted design was the winning entry in a contest to create such a flag, which was sponsored by Belleville Carling Brewery Company in cooperation with the Belleville Chamber of Commerce as part of the Sesquicentennial Year Program.The design for the flag, submitted by Fredrick L. Lange of Belleville, features a large field of black, symbolic of the area's rich soil basin. Next to the black field is a bar of yellow, representing our mineral wealth. There is next a bar of green, standing for agricultural abundance; and finally, a bar of white, representing our culture and plenty. The white post horn, used in early European postal systems, notably in Germany, is symbolic of the heritage of our area's pioneers, and also of the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra, the nation's second oldest. Here's my source.

3 comments:

  1. I fly my St. Louis flag at my suburban abode. I've also noticed one on a house nearby, in Glendale. It's a beautiful flag. I think every downtown office building should fly one.

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  2. ^I need to get one. I went to the Union Station flag store but they don't carry them.

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  3. I bought mine online - wish I could remember the company I bought it from. I know the flag shop in Des Peres on Manchester - next to the Village Bar - sells them. It's not in the city, but at least it gives you a good excuse to go to the Village Bar, which is one of the best bars anywhere in town.

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