Flag of Iowa
Encyclopedia
The flag
of the state of Iowa consists of three vertical stripes of blue
, white
, and red
, reflecting Iowa's history as part of the French
Louisiana Territory
. (Because of the wider middle stripe and symmetric design, the design is sometimes classified as a "Canadian pale
".) The image of a bald eagle
with a long ribbon reading "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain", taken from the Seal of Iowa
, is centered in the middle white stripe. The word "Iowa" is placed directly below it in red, serif
ed majuscules.
The flag was adopted in 1921; it was first approved in May 1917, by the Iowa State Council for Defense
. It was designed in 1917, by Knoxville, Iowa
, resident Mrs. Dixie Cornell Gebhardt
, of the Daughters of the American Revolution
of Iowa.
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of the state of Iowa consists of three vertical stripes of blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
, white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, and red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, reflecting Iowa's history as part of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Louisiana Territory
Louisiana (New France)
Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
. (Because of the wider middle stripe and symmetric design, the design is sometimes classified as a "Canadian pale
Canadian pale
In vexillology a Canadian pale is a centre band of a vertical triband flag that covers half the length of a flag, rather than a third in most triband designs. This allows more space to display a central image . The name was suggested by Dr. George Stanley, and first used by Elizabeth II of Canada...
".) The image of a bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
with a long ribbon reading "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain", taken from the Seal of Iowa
Seal of Iowa
The Great Seal of the State of Iowa was created in 1847 and depicts a citizen soldier standing in a wheat field surrounded by symbols important in early historical Iowa, including farming, mining, and transportation with the Mississippi River in the background...
, is centered in the middle white stripe. The word "Iowa" is placed directly below it in red, serif
Serif
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface . A typeface without serifs is called sans serif or sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning “without”...
ed majuscules.
The flag was adopted in 1921; it was first approved in May 1917, by the Iowa State Council for Defense
Iowa State Council for Defense
The Iowa State Council for Defense was created by Iowa Governor William L. Harding one month after the United States entered World War I, and was disbanded soon after the end of the war...
. It was designed in 1917, by Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,731 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum located next to the famous dirt track known as Knoxville Raceway.-History:The site for...
, resident Mrs. Dixie Cornell Gebhardt
Dixie Cornell Gebhardt
Dixie Cornell Gebhardt was a leader of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Iowa during World War I, and was responsible for the design of the Iowa's state flag....
, of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
of Iowa.
See also
- State of Iowa
- Symbols of the state of Iowa
- Great Seal of the State of Iowa
- Symbols of the state of Iowa
- Flag of Des Moines, IowaFlag of Des Moines, IowaThe flag of Des Moines, Iowa, was designed by Walter T. Proctor. Set on a blue background is a red vertical stripe along the hoist with the right side of the stripe angling inward toward the hoist and a white balance of three horizontal "bridges."...