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3:5 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.
See also:
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.
Richmond’s flag has a field of dark blue on its upper twothirds.
The lower third is divided into four horizontal stripes of white,
red, white, and red, in proportions of 1:3:1:3. In the center of the blue
field is a three-quarter silhouette of a bareheaded boatman in white,
standing with his right leg slightly raised as if it rests on a seat, and
poling his boat toward the hoist. The white boat melds with the top
white stripe, which has four slight bumps resembling waves and thus
gives the appearance of water. In a three-quarters circle around the
boatman are 9 five-pointed white stars (were the circle closed, there
would be 12 stars). The boatman and stars occupy just slightly less
than half the total field.
John M Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The faceless boatman, as he poles to the honor side of the flag, symbolizes the tens of thousands of anonymous individuals, composed of a multiplicity of nationalities and races, who through the ages determined Richmond’s homogeneous character and contributed to the City’s success, growth and progress. Surrounding this symbol of our river’s power is an arc of nine stars. Each represents a present state that was once part of the Commonwealth of Virginia over which Richmond was their capital in the nation’s infancy— Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.The city’s colors, red and blue, date to 1784 when the mayor, Robert Mitchell, added strips of red and blue ribbon when he affixed the city seal to documents. When asked why, he responded, “The blue signifies the river from which all life flows, and the red is for the infernal red clay that is always under our feet.” Richmond is situated on the James River.
On 22 July 1991, an anonymous donor gave
$12,000 “to be used for the design of a devisal of arms, including shield,
crest, supporters and badge, in connection with the creation of a new
City flag”. The city council authorized establishing a flag committee to
design the flag.
Flag adopted: 24 May 1993 (official).
John M Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The flag committee.
John M Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Obverse of flag (colored)
image by Rob Raeside, 29 December 2011
Based on: historicalamericana.com/images/uploaded/6932B-20111216151756_1.jpg
Obverse of flag (uncolored)
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.
Reverse of flag
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.
The earlier flag of Richmond is double-sided with a dark blue field. On the front side occupying about the center third of the field is a “Norman” shield in white, featuring the central figure from the city’s seal. In the center of the field is the allegorical Justice, also called Vindicatrix, or “the Spirit of the South”, robed in a pink chiton (Greek gown) and a himation (drape) in white with blue shadings. Her hair is brown and she is blindfolded. In her right hand she holds a sword upright; in her left, the scales of justice. A green tobacco plant behind her symbolizes one of Richmond’s early important products. Above her head, running across the center third of the shield, is the Latin motto SIC ITUR AD ASTRA (“Such is the way to the stars”) in black. Arched over all this, beginning and ending at the shield’s vertical midpoint, in similar letters, is RICHMOND VA, FOUNDED BY WILLIAM BYRD MDCCXXXVII.
On the reverse side in the center
is a red shield. The top half
of the shield bears the Confederate
Battle Flag: on a red
field, a blue saltire edged in
white with 13 white five-pointed
stars. Below it is a
white horizontal bar, with
DEO VINDICE (“Vindicated by God”), centered in two lines in blue.
This flag was designed by Carlton McCarthy, an early 20th-century mayor
of Richmond, and adopted officially in 1914. Its proportions are 3:5.
The designers intended its symbolism to recall Richmond’s role as “the
capital of the great southern Confederacy [1861-1865] and the leading
city of the south”, and strongly defended the “historic connection with
the Confederate cause … [as] part of the history of the world from
which we cannot be separated.”
John M Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The flag was adopted in 1914. However, due to the Confederate design being
offensive to the black majority population and the overall design being very
expensive to reproduce, it was rarely flown, especially since the early 1960's.
anonymous contributor, 16 July 2002
In the "Municipal Flags" booklet, it describes an ordinance for the flag of Richmond. It says a white fringe along the fly edge was used officially. This is the same fringe with which the flag of Virginia is decorated. The flag itself was made of silk or bunting and the fringe officially used the same material which was chosen for the actual flag, being not less than four inches in width:
image located by Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023
Image from a 1916 Town & County Edition of The American City attached. Also,
I'm not entirely sure if the flag lost official status in 1933, or if its just a
typo.
Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023
image located by Paul Bassinson, 1 February 2020
Source:
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/richmond.com
Paul Bassinson,
1 February 2020
image by Randy Young, 17 August 2014
I came across a Richmond flag that is white with the stylized letters "RVA" in bold red on it. This is apparently an unofficial flag for the city of Richmond and its environs. The letters "RVA" stand for "Richmond, VA." There are several online vendors and shops in the Richmond area that sell these flags in a
variety of color schemes. Some flags also have a message underneath the "RVA" letters, such as "DOWNTOWN" or "NORTH SIDE" for the different neighborhoods of the city.
Randy Young, 17 August 2014
image located by Paul Bassinson, 14 March 2021
This is an award flag given to the Richmond Police Department (image obtained
from
https://www.facebook.com/RichmondPolice/photos/10157934136959361)
Paul Bassinson, 14 March 2021
image by David Sigley, 19 July 2023
based on photo
The flag is a vertical dark teal field with a column with the neighborhood name above it with a white border. This symbol appears in the logo of the Museum District Association. The neighborhood is home to various historical organizations, including the Virginian Department of Historic Resources. The column on the flag is based on the columns seen on the Virginian Historical Society building.
Photo of the flag: https://www.museumdistrict.org/
David Sigley, 19 July 2023