Flag of the City of Boston

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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.

Flag_of_Boston
Flag of Boston


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

Washington DC | Chicago | Denver

Washington
Chicago%20City%20Flag%20Current.png
Denver%20City%20Flag.png


Phoenix | St Louis | Wichita

Phoenix%20Arizona%20City%20Flag.png
St%20Louis%20Missouri%20City%20Flag.png
Wichita%20Kansas%20City%20Flag.png


Portland (Ore) | Indianapolis | Louisville

Portland%20Oregon%20Flag%201969.png
Indianapolis%20Indiana%20City%20Flag.png
Louisville%20City%20Flag%201949.png


Corpus Christi

Corpus%20Christi%20Texas%20City%20Flag.png
 
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
 
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.

Image result for boston spelled logos
Image result for boston spelled logos
Image result for boston spelled logos
Image result for all boston sports logo
 

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I am a fan of Nat Varmac's redesign of the Boston city flag:
a-better-flag-for-boston-massachusetts-c14ce0e86333

A little "Before" and "After"
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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.
 
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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
 
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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.
 
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
 
What does "too abstract" mean?

Bicolor, Tricolor, stars and stripes, maple leaf, are all abstractions.
 
I asked because I was interested in your thoughts.
 
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
 

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