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2:3 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags,
Raven
9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association,
which retains copyright.
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Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.
Austin’s flag has a white field with a heraldic shield in the
center. On a field of 2 by 3 units, the shield, which has a triangular
shape at its bottom, is about 1 unit high overall and about 2/3 of a unit
wide. The shield is divided vertically in three equal stripes of red, white,
and red. The top of the shield, or chief, is an inverted blue isosceles
triangle bearing an ancient oil lamp, in gold, its spout toward the hoist.
The shield is fimbriated with a narrow gold border. The crest of the
shield rests on a white wreath, from which two large white wings outlined
in blue rise vertically on either side of a gold cross bottonny. Silhouetted
behind the crest in red is the dome and upper part of the state
capitol. Centered in a curve counterclockwise below the shield is CITY
OF AUSTIN in blue, across the center third of the flag.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
In mid-1915, Mrs. William R. Wyse, editor of
Gossip, suggested to Mayor A. P. Wooldridge that the city ought to have
its own flag. The mayor appointed a committee of some 38 citizens to
study the issue. That committee led to another committee of 10 to
develop a process for selecting a flag. The city, through this committee,
set up a contest and offered two prizes, one of $50 for first place, and
another of $25 for second place, for an appropriate design. A third
committee judged the more than 100 entries, a process which took
several months.
Flag adopted: 12 April 1919 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Ray F. Coyle, of San Francisco, took first place. Second
place went to G. A. Geist, a faculty member at Texas A&M College.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Coyle’s original design had a white star and crown on the chief, representing “The City of the Violet Crown”, but the committee suggested substituting the gold lamp in their place as more appropriate to Austin’s role as a center of education. The committee also added the blue to the wings of the crest to make them more visible.
In 1991, a citizen identified as “Murray” sued the city, protesting the
use of the Christian cross on the crest as violating the separation of
church and state mandated by the U.S. Constitution. The court ruled
that the use of the cross was a historically valid part of Austin’s arms,
and could therefore be retained on the flag.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
image by Jens Pattke, 28 June 2014
This variant shows the central shield-shaped component of the seal inside a ring with the name and date.
I came across a photograph online of the Austin, Texas, Police Department honor guard participating in the 20th Annual Emerald Society & Pipeband March and Service on 14 May 2014 (www.flickr.com). The honor guard is seen carrying the American flag, Texas flag, Austin city flag, police officers' memorial flag, Austin Police Department flag, and the POW/MIA flag. The Austin city flag, however, differs from the one [posted below].
The one being carried by the honor guard is the full city seal displayed on a
white field, with a gold ceremonial fringe. At this point, I don't know if this
is a variant of the city flag, or represents the adoption of a new city flag
design.
Randy Young, 28 June 2014
image located by Dave Fowler, 12 March 2022
The city flag in use appears to have the full city seal.
Dave Fowler,
12 March 2022
image located by Paul Bassinson, 31 December 2019
Source:
https://www.thefirstteeaustin.org/.../city-of-Austin-seal.png
Paul Bassinson, 31 December 2019
image located by Paul Bassinson, 15 March 2021
The flag of the Austin Fire Department appears to solely consist of the
department’s logo on a solid red background. Image obtained from
https://www.facebook.com/AustinFireDepartment/photos/a.367761156624696/2676138725786916.
Paul Bassinson, 15 March 2021