![[Flag of Portland, Maine]](../images/u/us-me-pt-l.gif)
3:5 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucciimage(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.
Last modified: 2022-09-03 by rick wyatt
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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.
Portland’s flag has a navy blue field bearing the center portion
of the city seal in yellow, approximately half of the hoist width of
the flag in diameter. This image (the city’s seal excluding its outer ring
with inscriptions) shows a shield overlaid on an anchor, three points of
which show; one on each side of the shield and one below it. The stock
of the anchor appears above the shield and on it perches a phoenix,
wings outstretched, facing the fly, clutching an inverted open wreath.
The device on the shield is a ship, resembling a Roman galley with oars
and sails, sailing on an ocean toward the hoist. The supporters are
dolphins curved downwards around the shield and facing each other.
The dolphins, shield, phoenix, anchor, and ship are white with blue
details, while the sea is blue with white outlines. Above the seal arches
CITY OF PORTLAND, MAINE, and curved below it is RESURGAM,
all in gold.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
What might appear to be a seagull is in fact a phoenix, holding a wreath,
a mark of esteem. The phoenix, the mythical bird fabled to consume
itself by fire and then rise from its own ashes, is an emblem of immortality
and resurrection. Along with the motto, RESURGAM (“I arise”),
the phoenix alludes to the rebuilding of Portland after it was twice
destroyed by fire, first by the Indians in 1690 and later by the British in
1775. In 1866, the seal became an even more appropriate symbol of
the city’s destruction and rebuilding when one-third of Portland was
consumed in a fire which left 10,000 people homeless.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Unknown. The seal was adopted on 7 January
1835.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Unknown.
James Croft, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
![[Flag of Portland, Maine]](../images/u/us-me-pt3.jpg)
image by Dave Martucci, 5 March 2011
A variant of the City of Portland Maine Flag has surfaced. On 2 Feb 2011 the Portland Press Herald ran a story about the great blizzard. As a part of the story there was a picture of three flags flying in the storm with someone
cross-country skiing below. The flags (U.S., Maine and City of Portland) are flying and the Portland flag is royal blue with the city seal in the center minus the encircling inscriptions (but with what I think is a dark blue ring) and the inscriptions "City of Portland, Maine" arched over the top in all-caps gold and "Resurgam Resurgam" arched below also in all-caps gold. Much like the 1998 image (above), except a lighter blue, a narrow dark blue ring edging the seal, the design on the seal in a lighter blue except the water is dark blue and light blue instead of white and dark blue, and the bottom inscription repeats the City motto.
Dave Martucci, 5 March 2011
This photo is from the Portland Press Herald dated 2 February 2011 and shows
a very different flag, with the city’s motto repeated twice. The flag I saw in
1996 was similar except the motto was only inscribed once, the blue was a bit
darker and there was no black ring around the city seal.
Dave Martucci,
18 May 2019
![[Flag of Portland, Maine]](../images/u/us-me-pt4.jpg)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 14 May 2019
Image obtained from
https://portlandflag.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/portland-city-councilor-ed-suslovic-presenting-the-flag-of-the-city-of-portland.jpg?w=300&h=212.
14 May 2019
There is no official Portland, Maine flag. I know of at least three variants,
each made “on the fly” at the time they were needed. The photo presented dates
from 2007 and was published in the Portland Press Herald, although I don’t have
the exact date.
In 1996 or so, I went to the Portland City Hall on a
quest to find out about the city’s flag. Eventually, I ended up in the City
Clerk’s office. I asked about the flag and was told in no uncertain terms,
“Portland does not have a city flag.” I pointed out the window at the City Hall
Flag Poles and then asked “So what is that flying from the second pole?” The
clerk responded “That is the Portland City Flag!” She explained the City Hall
maintenance department gets them made when they need to be replaced and that it
was simply an unofficial process to meet an unmet need.
Dave Martucci,
18 May 2019
![[Municipal Seal]](../images/u/us-me-pt).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 19 August 2019
Source:
https://www.portlandmaine.gov
Paul Bassinson,
19 August 2019
