Flag of the City of Boston

[Arlington]

Wikipedia says:
"The flag [of the City of Boston] placed 133rd out of 150 city flags in a 2004 survey by the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), based on appearance.[4]
It is commonly categorized by vexillologists as a 'seal on a bed sheet.'"

Always good to know that Founded and Given A City Charter can happen 192 years apart. And when that question does come up in meetings or sidewalk conversations, it is always handy to have a flag available for settling bets.

For comparison, here are the top 10 form the 2004 Survey:

Ten Best City Flags in the United States

flagpolesetc.com

Washington DC | Chicago | Denver

Phoenix | St Louis | Wichita

Portland (Ore) | Indianapolis | Louisville

Corpus Christi

 

[Scott]

I never liked the ugly powder blue color; that would be the first thing I would change.

Out of those I like the St. Louis flag

 

[Arlington]

Because when you have a sucky city flag (& Sucky City Branding) the corporate owners fill the void in defining your city--owning it and renting it back to you.

I think that's the Boston Globe muscling in on the B and Delta Airlines inserting itself as the O.

 

[bobthebuilder]

Delta Airlines inserting itself as the O.

That's the citgo sign

 

[Arlington]

That's the citgo sign

Oh, If so, being a Venezuelan corporate logo, I think my point just got stronger: when Boston abdicates branding itself, others will.

 

[wilkee]

I am a fan of Nat Varmac's redesign of the Boston city flag: https://medium.com/@natvarmac/a-better-flag-for-boston-massachusetts-c14ce0e86333

He even includes some team rebrandings of the flag:

 

[Arlington]

I am a fan of Nat Varmac's redesign of the Boston city flag:

A little "Before" and "After"

Mind blown. The one on the right is spectacularly good branding. Thank you wilkee.

Before I read Nat Varmac's words (in the post), here's what I immediately and wordlessly get from the picture:
1) Blue and Yellow == Brand colors of Boston as used in Boston Strong (etc)

1a) we tend not to go for the "washed out blue" of the current bedsheet flag​

1b) The BAA's Blue & Yellow are basically "it", but this is a more "US Flag" blue and a more "Bruins" Yellow​

2) White Star on Blue Field == It is a Capital City* (first reading of the star) of a (founding) United States State (second level read of the same star)
3) A Hub == Oliver Wendell Holmes' "Boston State-House is the hub of the solar system."

3a) The Ring need not be 128 (indeed for the city, it isn't) but it kinda puts a claim on the metro area.​

4) A Map == the star is in an unusual location, and is depicted roughly where Boston falls when Mass' State Map is inscribed on a rectangle. If it didn't have the "southwest" spoke, it would be a beautifully stylized map of the whole state. With that spoke, I'd say you've added CT and you're looking at "New England"

4a) A city on Massachusetts Bay (only blue to its East, no spoke on the right)​

4b) A nod to the capital of New England and our Principal Highways with spokes in counterclockwise from upper right​

• Maine (I-95),
• NH (I-93)
• VT (US3/I-89)
• Massachusetts Itself I-90/US20,
• CT I-84,
• RI I-95,
• Plymouth Colony / The Cape US3

Freaking brilliant. I frankly don't see how it can be improved upon. Were I Boston Inhabitant, i'd be writing my politicians at this very moment.


I don't think the white outlines are necessary, but I see that they make the sports variants easier (The ability to do Red/White/Blue for the Sox, Red/Blue/Silver for the Patriots, Brown/Green/White for the Celtics and Brown/Gold/White for the Bruins)

I move for immediate adoption.


*and one of only two Capitals of the 13 Colonies from 1776 still in use as a capital, which, in itself is a great tale.

 

[Arlington]

I like that I (generally) got the significance Nat Varmac intended in his 7-spoke hub, even though he was being more "in state" He describes it as:

Each of the seven spokes harken to New England cities as they geographically relate to the city. Counterclockwise from the top right, they go:​

• Northeast: Salem, MA
• North: Haverhill, MA
• Northwest: Lowell, MA, and Nashua, NH
• West: Framingham, Worcester, and Springfield, MA
• Southwest: Attleboro, MA, and Providence, RI
• South: Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford, MA
• Southeast: Plymouth, MA, and Cape Cod

 

[fattony]

That is a truly great flag design. The asymmetry makes me a little uncomfortable, but that isn’t necessarily a reason not to use it. It makes you stare at the flag longer.

 

[Scott]

I like it, a lot. But if we are hoping a flag will represent a people I think it is too abstract. So maybe it should go through some civic process. I think most people in the city would agree that it's time for a new flag but it's also possible they don't. I would be interested to see what people today might come up with as representations of themselves and how that it may be incorporated into a new flag

 

[Arlington]

What does "too abstract" mean?

Bicolor, Tricolor, stars and stripes, maple leaf, are all abstractions.

 

[Scott]

I shouldn't have bothered

 

[Arlington]

I asked because I was interested in your thoughts.

 

[Scott]

Okay, the St Louis flag has all kinds symbolism of its past, the Phoenix one says we are rising. I think the idea of the flag representing the city as being the Hub just isn't very modern. I would love the city to ask people from the Dedham line to the Revere line for ideas. How do you see the city; how would you like to be represented. I think it could foster civic pride, not that we don't have an abundance of that