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![[Flag of Seattle, Washington]](../images/u/us-wa-se-l.gif)
11:15 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.
Seattle’s flag has an elaborate design in two colors. The field is a teal blue/green—a dark aquamarine, “the color of Puget Sound at dusk”, according to the ordinance of adoption. From the top half of the hoist on a white background run four equally-spaced teal stripes, generally horizontal, but slanted slightly upward and ending in a curved shape resembling a hook. The top stripe is 3.5 units in length on a field of 11 by 15 units. Each of the stripes below decreases in length one-half unit. The width of the stripes is .5 units; the bottom edge of the top stripe is 2 units from the top edge of the field, and the stripes are approximately 1 unit apart.
Emanating from below the “hook” of each of the top three stripes is a
teal ribbon that undulates toward the center of the flag and intertwines
with the others to form a sort of wreath around the center of the flag,
averaging about 8 units in diameter, all on white. Within this wreath,
which appears to be cast from the foam of surf, is a stylized rendition of
the city’s seal, in its center a profile of Chief Seattle, facing the hoist.
Around the chief ’s head are two teal curved bands that appear to be cut
ribbons, about the same width as the hoist stripes, one from his chin to
the top of his head, and the other beginning lower at the back of his
head, and extending beyond his neck. Together these form a stylized
“S”. Around this figure, in teal letters beginning about 9 o’clock and
ending at 3 o’clock, is CITY OF GOODWILL. Dots at 8 and 4 o’clock
separate the remainder of the legend, SEATTLE, which curves from
7 to 5 o’clock.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
The council adopted a city flag and nickname in
preparation for the Goodwill Games (an international athletic event)
and Goodwill Arts Festival to be held in Seattle in 1990.
Flag adopted: 16 July 1990 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
Councilmember Paul Kraabel.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The central seal design is much like
one proposed for a new city flag in 1976 designed by the David Strong
Design Group, but never adopted.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
A few months ago, I was finally able to purchased one of these flags from a local flag shop. In nearly seven years of living near, and working in, downtown Seattle, I have never once seen a Seattle flag flying or otherwise displayed from any location -- official or unofficial -- other than my own front porch.
Andrew S Rogers, 1 March 2002
In 1962 and 1964 various council members called for a city flag. A
Seattle designer, William Werrbach, created two designs, but neither
was adopted. In 1968, local flag enthusiast Dr. Willard Goff designed
a flag, but council rejected it as too contemporary (it showed the Space
Needle and a supersonic transport). In 1976 Mayor Wes Uhlman recommended
the flag designed by the David Strong Design Group for
commemoration of the United States bicentennial, but the council declared
its agenda too busy to consider it. The following year council
member Phyllis Lamphere promoted the idea of adopting a city flag
once again, but she finally gave up, saying that her efforts “didn't excite
anyone”. There the matter rested until 1990 when the current city flag
was finally adopted.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The proposal for a Seattle city flag from 1970 is to be found at www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/4932551664.
"Two fifth graders sent this design to Mayor Uhlman. They explained, "The Space Needle is pointing to the future and we think it is a special landmark. We put a boat on the flag because Seattle is a great boating city and we put a plane on the flag because Seattle has a great plane industry. Found in Vertical File 365, Seattle Municipal Archives."
Valentin Poposki, 30 October 2010
![[Flag of Seattle, Washington]](../images/u/us-wa-se43-l.gif)
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.
In 1943, Councilman Frank McCaffrey designed and had manufactured a city flag that he presented to the council, although it was apparently unofficial. Very similar to Washington’s state flag, it has a green field of 3 by 5 units with the city’s seal in gold in the center. The seal shows a profile of Chief Seattle toward the hoist, • CITY • OF • SEATTLE • curved over his head, and 1869 centered below it. Surrounding this portion is ring that declares over the top half, CORPORATE • SEAL • OF • THE as a preface to the city’s name below.
In the lower half of the ring are two dolphins, one on either side facing
the lower center point, where two fir cones are shown. The dolphins,
according to the seal’s designer, James A. Wehn, symbolize Seattle as a
center of deep-water commerce; the fir cones represent the Evergreen
State (Washington’s nickname). (The seal was adopted 13 January 1937.)
McCaffrey’s flag was known as “Council’s Flag”, and hung in council
chambers for at least two decades.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
Better image of seal: www.tobydammit.com/tours/posters/1994/seal_seattle.jpg
Ben Cahoon, 16 July 2015
![[Flag of Seattle, Washington]](../images/u/us-wa-se34.jpg)
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.
About 1934 Mayor Charles L.
Smith presented an unofficial
city flag to the Nile Temple of
the Shrine Legion of Honor (a
Masonic marching body) and
the Shriners used it for years
to represent the city at their
national meetings. This flag,
apparently one of a kind, is 5:7 in proportions. The white field has a
narrow blue border. In the center of the field is a frontal portrait of
Chief Seattle, presumably in natural colors, surrounded by a white ring
edged in gold on which CHIEF curves above and SEATTLE curves
below, all in gold. Emanating from the top of the band is a gold flourish
extending to either side. Across the top of the flag is a broad heraldic
ribbon, white and edged in gold, with CITY OF SEATTLE in
gold, “OF” smaller than the other words. Centered below the ribbon
and immediately above the gold flourishes is the legend, in smaller gold
letters, INCORPORATED 1869. Centered at the bottom in larger
gold letters is WASHINGTON. Whether city officials may ever have
used the flag is unknown.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
![[City seal]](../images/u/us-wa-se).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 16 February 2020
Source:
https://www.municode.com
Paul Bassinson, 16 February 2020
![[Flag of Port of Seattle, Washington]](../images/u/us-wapos.jpg)
image located by Jan Mertens, 19 November 2008
The Port of Seattle flag is shown on this page (last photo): www.portseattle.org/about/.
Its field is white and shows the logo or wordmark: 'Port' in blue, to its right three horizontal stripes, slanting to the right, light blue - green (slightly pointed lower left and upper right angles) - dark blue; second line, blue words 'of' (italic) and 'Seattle'.
Present logo is compared with a previous one at www.underconsideration.com/.
"The Port of Seattle is a major hub for international trade, transportation and travel in the northwest United States. Established in 1911, the port has quickly grown, becoming the 7th busiest US seaport in 2007. From its roots until now, the port has always thought of itself as progressive. The port envisions itself as one of the "cleanest, greenest, most energy-efficient port[s] in the nation." Visually the port has attempted to align itself with its twentieth-century mission of being the cleanest, greenest port."
The Port's own logo page at www.portseattle.org/news/stories/ states:
"The three bars of the logo suggest air, land and sea - the three realms where the Port operates - with
green running through the center. They also represent the three parts of sustainability: economic development, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship."
Jan Mertens, 19 November 2008
![[Flag of Sound Transit, Washington]](../images/u/us$soundtransit.jpg)
image located by Esteban Rivera, 17 August 2014
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils. It operates express bus,
commuter rail, and light rail
service in the region and constructs capital projects in support and expansion of those services.
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundtransit
The flag is a horizontal flag with white on the top featuring the logo and on the bottom the
livery of the trains.
For additional information go to:
SoundTransit (official website) www.soundtransit.org/
Esteban Rivera, 17 August 2014
![[Hotel Seattle]](../images/u/us$hsttl.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 October 2023
Hotel Seattle existed in the namesake city from 1890 to 1961. This early
1910s postcard shows in
https://commons.wikimedia.org a colorized photo what seems to the building’s
(or company’s) onomast a.k.a. name pennant.
It seems to be a very oblong
flag, slightly tappering and forked, all black with white sans serif capitals
reading "Hotel Seattle" in a single text line.
The postcard image show
this very large flag (as long as the space of three windows) hoisted on a
relatively short pole, erected centrally atop of the building, which is of the
“flatiron” type. Erected nearby, above the main pediment, there’s a very large
billboard-like name sign, into which the flag would snagitself in unstable wind
conditions: I think that either the flagpole is located farther back (and
therefore is even higher than it looks, as also the flag) and this postcard
image looks like this due only to perspective, or that the artist who adapted
the photo original exaggerated the size of the flag and its pole.
António
Martins-Tuválkin, 24 October 2023
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