The flag of New Orleans contains a large white field that contains three gold fleurs-de-lis and is bordered on the top by a red stripe and from below by a blue stripe. The presence of the fleur-de-lis, a stylized depiction of a flower and a traditional French symbol demonstrates the city's French heritage and strong ties to France, while the presence of the design being a Spanish fess demonstrates the city's Spanish heritage and strong ties to Spain.
 | |
| Use | Other  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3[1] |
| Adopted | January 1918 |
| Design | Three yellow fleurs-de-lis on white field atop blue stripe and underneath red stripe, with the white field five times the width of the stripes. |
| Designed by | Bernard Barry and Gustave Couret |
History
editThe City of New Orleans adopted its official flag in January 1918, having selected its design from nearly 400 ideas submitted to its Citizen's Flag Committee in preparation for the city's bicentennial celebration. The red, white, and blue flag emblazoned with gold fleurs-de-lis combined one proposal's suggested color scheme with decorative elements from another. The patriotic color scheme was suggested by Bernard Barry, then employed as an engraver at A. B. Griswold and Co., jewelers, and the fleurs-de-lis idea is attributed to Gustave Couret, a draftsman with the Diboll, Owen, and Goldstein architectural firm.[2] The official flag of the City of New Orleans was named by the city council in January 1918.[3]
Symbolism
editThe white field is the symbol of justice and the government, the blue stripe represents liberty, and the red stripe represents fraternity. In addition these are also the colors of the flag of France. The white field is five times the width of the stripes. The three fleurs-de-lis grouped in triangular form represent New Orleans under the principles of government, liberty, and fraternity.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Sec. 2-2. - Official flag of city—Described". Code of Ordinances of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana. 1956.
The official flag of the city shall be according to the design accepted and approved by the Bienville Bicentennial Celebration Committee through its flag committee which consists of a white field five-sevenths wide, with a brilliant crimson stripe one-seventh wide at the top, and a brilliant blue stripe one-seventh wide at the bottom, the relative proportions of the flag to be two by three. There shall be three fleur-de-lys in the center of the white field, the height of each of which shall be one-fourth of the height of the white field and to locate their position there must be drawn an inverted equilateral triangle with an altitude of one-third the height of the white field, each angle marking the center of the fleur-de-lys, the whole according to the design marked exhibit B-B attached to the ordinance from which this section was derived.
- ^ Eichhorn, M. L. (Spring 2016). "Couret Family Papers". The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly.
- ^ "New Orleans, Louisiana (U.S.)". Flags of the World. Flags of the World. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ Purcell, John M.; Croft, James A.; Monahan, Rich (2003). American City Flags: 150 Flags from Akron to Yonkers (PDF). North American Vexillological Association. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0-9747728-0-6. OCLC 1011001515. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
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