Flag Institute (FI)

Last modified: 2023-08-05 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological association | flag institute |
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• Details about this association
• Contact Information
• Publications
• Description of the flag
• Former flag (1971-2016)
• Officers flag proposals

See also

• United Kingdom
• Vexillological Associations
• Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques (FIAV)

Description of the flag

The flag is based on the lower hoist quarter of the Union Flag stylized to represent forward movement.
Flag Institute website: http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/2016/11/flag-institute-adopts-new-flag-emblem
Steve Shumaker, 2 March 2017

Former flag (1971-2016)

image by Mark Sensen

The organization's original flag was designed in 1971 by Dr William Crampton, former Director of the Flag Institute.

Original flag blazon: A white simple pile with a St. George Scandinavian/off-centred cross with the non-pile color dark blue (B++). (Side note: our current description doesn't specify the orientation of the triangle.)

The pile was select for its "V" shape for vexillology and the St. George cross for the Institute's founding date, St. George’s Day (23 April 1973).
Steve Shumaker, 2 March 2017

Officers flag proposals

image by Željko Heimer, 15 March 2018

Issue 1 of the "eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute", issue 1, September 2006 started a column presenting the FI personalities, with the first issue named "Putting a face of flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities, Number 1 The president: Captain Malcom Farrow OBE FFI"

There Malcom Farrow is pictured in his uniform riding a bike hoisting the White Ensign, but next to the text there is an illustration of the President's flag: a rectangular 3:5 blue flag with a white yellow border and overall a white triangle with a red cross, the triangle base along the hoist and its vertex reaching over the half of the flag (probably the triangle height being equal to the base width), the cross being (estimated) 1/5 of the width, the border ca. 1/6, so that the tip of the cross and the border meet at a point top and bottom.

Subsequent issues of the eFlags present other FI officers and their particular flags as well.
Željko Heimer, 15 March 2018

The flags were never formally adopted by the Institute, and so remain unofficial. They never appeared 'in the cloth', and so are probably best regarded as a proposal and no more.
Ian Sumner, 15 March 2018

In (if I remember correctly)1991, the Flag Institute annual meeting was held in Wales, and was organised by a then member, who fairly soon disappeared from view. He did have some interesting ideas on flag design. At the time, I was Secretary. His flag for me was dark blue with a canton of the then Institute flag, undifferenced from the field, and an open book in the fly. I still have the 2x3 inch paper example he made for me. As I recall, he had designs for other officers such as the Treasurer. The designs were quite well made, but, again as I recall, there was no real mention of them again. So Ian is correct in saying that these designs were a proposal and no more.
Michael Faul, 15 March 2018

Chairman’s Flag (my description): The FI blue ensign* with golden gavel, its handle upwards on a golden stepped base.
*i.e. a rectangular 3:5 blue flag with a white triangle with a red cross, the triangle base along the hoist and its vertex reaching over the half of the flag (probably the triangle height being equal to the base width), the cross being (estimated) 1/5 of the width. cf. the FI president's flag.
Source: "Putting a face on flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities - Number 2 The Chairman: Revd John Hall BA FFI", eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 2, December 2006.p. 9

Chief Vexillologist['s Flag] (my description): The FI blue ensign* with a red vexillum golden fringe along its bottom edge and golden cords with tassels hanging on each side of its crossbar, hanging from a silver finialed golden staff.
"Putting a face on flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities - Number 3: The Chief Vexillologist: Graham Bartram FFI", eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 3, March 2007.p. 12

Librarian ['s Flag] (my description): The FI blue ensign* with an upright golden torch inflamed and radiating.
Source: "Putting a face on flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities - Number 4: The Librarian: Ian Sumner FFI", eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 4, June 2007.p. 10

Membership Secretary['s Flag] (my description): The FI blue ensign* with two golden stylized hands clasping each other.
Source: "Putting a face on flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities - Number 5: Membership Secretary: Dr Mike Kearsley", eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 5, October 2007.p. 8

[Council Secretary's Flag] (my description): The FI blue ensign* with a golden quill and a white scroll in saltire.
The Council Secretary: John Ford, eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 7, March 2008.p. 11

Founder of the Flag Institute: "Putting a face on flags: Biographies of Flag Institute personalities - Number 7: Dr William Crampton: Founder of the Flag Institute", eFlags: The virtual flag magazine of the Flag Institute, issue 8, October 2008.p. 10
(no officer's flag presented)

Željko Heimer, 28 March 2018