ICV 27, London Flag Congress 2017.

London Flag Congress, ICV27

Since 1969, the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques (FIAV) an international federation of 52 regional, national, and multinational vexillological associations and institutions across the globe. has sponsored the biennial International Congresses of Vexillology (ICV). Every two years the world’s flag people come together to discuss the subject they love best, flags, hear talks on various vexillological subjects and socialise. 

 Flag Institute, UK will organise the 27th International Congress of Vexillology (ICV27) from 6-11 August 2017, at Huxley Building, Imperial College, 180 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ . http://www.icv27.co.uk

Here is the full programme, list of the speakers and the titles of their topics to be presented during the Congress. 

SUNDAY 6 AUGUST

1500-1800 Registration

Venue: Huxley Building

1800-2000 Informal get-together

Venue: FiveSixEight, Beit Quadrangle, 2 Prince Consort Rd, Kensington, London SW7 2BB

MONDAY 7 AUGUST

0900-1000 Opening Ceremony / official ICV27 photograph

Venue: Queen's Lawn, Imperial College
 Conference Speakers;

1030-1100 Annie Platoff (USA) : Little Leninists: flags, symbols, and the political socialization of Soviet children

1100-1130 Tiago José Berg (Brazil) : Vexillology with high school students

1130-1200 Ted Kaye (USA) : American city flag redesign - a welcome change

1200-1230 Kevin Harrington (Canada) : Flags and the Anniversaries of 2017 - myths, mistakes, misconceptions

1400-1430 Christopher Maddish (USA) : Colour coding and new vexillological avenues for flag design

1430-1500 Pierre-Jean Guionin (France): The new edition of Album des pavillons et des marques distinctives

1500-1530 Victor Lomantsov (Russia) : Flags of trade-unions' sport societies in the USSR

1600-1630 Sekhar Chakrabarti (India): Variant of dominant political party flag as national flag - confusions and controversies: a case study

1630-1700 John Cartledge (UK) : Red for danger

1830-2200 Welcome barbecue includes celebration toast marking the 50th Anniversary of the Inception of FIAV (ICV2, Rüschlikon, 1967)

Venue: Roof terrace, Baden Powell House, 65-67 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5JS 

TUESDAY 8 AUGUST

0900-0930 Ralph Bartlett (Australia) : Flags by King for Country

0930-1000 Rachel Phelan (Ireland) : What's up with the big green flag? The conservation of the flag of the Irish Republic

1000-1030 Roberto Breschi (Italy) : A vexillological treasure in Florence, Italy

1100-1130 Manuela Schmöger (Germany) : kommunalflaggen.eu - a Wiki about municipal flags

1130-1200 Scot Guenter (USA): Historical shifts and emergent paradigms: tradition, ideology, sources of power and influence in flag studies

1200-1230 Alan Hardy : The standard colour set, a common ratio, contrast and individualities

1400-1430 Ralph Kelly (Australia): A flag for Empire

1430-1500 Cédric de Fougerolle (France) : Ex-libris and vexillology

1500-1530 Ladislav Hnát (Czech Republic) : Party flags, colours and logos in the 8th European Parliament

1600-1610 Pluethipol Prachumphol (Thailand) : History of the Thai flag

1610-1620 Slovenian Vexillological Association : ICV29 bid - supporting presentation

1620-1630 Genealogical Society of Ireland : ICV29 bid - supporting presentation

1630-1800 25th FIAV General Assembly

WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST

8.30-9.30 Full day excursion to Greenwich

9.30-13.30 Arrive Greenwich Park (Blackheath Gate) for a guided walking tour including Royal Observatory (Prime Meridian, Flamsteed House, great views), Old Royal Naval College (Painted Hall and Chapel), Cutty Sark

13.30-15.00 Lunch - Davy's Wine Bar, Greenwich

15.15-15.45 National Maritime Museum: 'Flags in the NMM: an introduction', a talk by Barbara Tomlinson, Curator Emeritus

15.45- Explore the NMM and Greenwich

Return travel: by river on Thames Clipper to Westminster Pier

THURSDAY 10 AUGUST

0900-0930 Marcel van Westerhoven (The Netherlands) Polderboard flags - requiem for a dream

0930-1000 Bruce Berry (South Africa): The beloved green and white - (white) Rhodesia’s search for a unique symbol of identity

1000-1030 Stoyan Antonov (Bulgaria) : Flags of Bulgarian municipalities

1100-1130 Hervé Calvarin (France) : Doubts and certainties in vexillology

1130-1200 Jos Poels (UK) : Evolution of the Gambian flag

1200-1230 David Chkheidze (Georgia) : The flags of contemporary Georgia

1400-1430 Aleš Brožek (Czech Republic) : The survey of flags used by rowing clubs in the Czech Republic

1430-1500 Avelino Couceiro Rodriguez (Cuba) : Cuba and Puerto Rico: Two flags, two wings of a single bird

1500-1530 Patrice de La Condamine (France): Flags and the woman

1600-1630 Uroš Žižmund (Slovenia): Two flags, two proposals - a new system of national and rank flags of Slovenia

1630-1700 Stan Zamyatin (Ireland): County flags of Ireland

1700-1800 Flags of the World (FOTW) Meeting (continues at FiveSixEight, Beit Quadrangle)

FRIDAY 11 AUGUST

0900-0930 Željko Heimer (Croatia) : Historical origins of contemporary Croatian municipal flags

0930-1000 Tony Burton (Australia) : Budgie smuggling and flag mayhem in Malaysia

1000-1030 Alain Raullet (France) : The third way of raising flags in Brittany

1100-1130 Roman Klimeš (Czech Republic) : Symbols of the Bohemian Olympic Committee 1912

1130-1200 Carlos Alberto Morales-Ramirez (Singapore) : Zoogeographic vexillology of North America - exploring endemism in sub-national flags

1200-1230 Nicolas Hugot (France) : A journey through constitutional vexillology

1400-1415 Xinfeng Zhao (China) : The flags of Genghis Khan

1415-1430 Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg (The Netherlands) : Five rings to bring them all - a presentation of the Olympic Flag

1430-1500 Attila István Szekeres (Romania) : The evolution of the Szekeler flag in the last four centuries

1530-1600 Rob Raeside (Canada) : Sub-national flags in Canada

1600-1610 Aleksander Hribovšek (Slovenia): The new Association flag and flags of the officers (Heraldry Society of Slovenia)

1610-1620 Theun Okkerse (The Netherlands): The obverse and reverse paradox

1620-1630 Vexillological Association of the State of Texas : ICV28, San Antonio 2019

1630 -1700 Closing Ceremony

1900-2200 Farewell Aperitif and Closing Banquet

Venue: Gladstone Library, Royal Horseguards Hotel, 1 Whitehall Ct, Westminster, London SW1A 2EJ

COMPANION PROGRAMME

Based around the conference venue in the heart of Royal Kensington and Chelsea, the ICV 27 Companion Programme will explore the monuments, palaces, houses, gardens and hidden corners of this special corner of London. Highlights include the Royal Albert Hall - of Summer Proms fame; Kensington Palace - once home to Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana, and now to Prince William, Duchess Kate and Prince Harry; Leighton House - a ‘private palace of art’ with an extraordinary Arab Hall; Hyde Park and the Serpentine; Kensington Gardens and the Albert Memorial; and lovely Holland Park with its stunning Kyoto Garden.

ICV27 - REGISTERED COMPANIONS, as on 12 June 2017.

Sukla Chakrabarti (India), Maria Esther Cruz (The Netherlands), Elizabeth Dangaard (Australia), Annie de La Condamine (France), Elisabeth Dreyer (Switzerland), Patrica Edwards (Canada), Deanna Hartvigsen (USA), Irina Herzfeld (Germany), Debbie Kaye (USA), Mike Kearney (UK - ICV27 Companion Programme Guide), Patricia Keegan-Poels (UK), Suzanne Kelly (Australia), Roman Križanič (Slovenia), Janice Lancaster (Canada), Lin-na Li (China), Lena Lindquist (Sweden), Ksenia Lomantsova (Russia), Karen Lowe (USA), Jenny Naughton (Australia), Michael Platoff (USA), Wendy Raeside (Canada), Barbara Ross (UK), Susanne Schmidt (Germany), Maggie Sumner (UK - ICV27 Companion Programme Organiser) 

Sydney International Flag Congress: 26th International Congress of Vexillology (ICV), 2015: A Memoir

Vexillology is the scientific study of flags and related emblems. It is concerned with research into flags of all kinds, both modern and historical, the creation of a body of practice for flag design and usage, and of a body of theory of flag development. Vexillology seeks to understand and explain the important part played by flags in the modern world. (Flag Institute, UK)

Every two years flag experts gather to share their interest and knowledge about flags in International Congress of Vexillology (ICV). ICVs are held every two years beginning 1965 when the first ICV was held at Muiderberg, the Netherlands under the auspices of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (which is referred to by its French initials: FIAV - Fédération Internationale des Associations Vexillologiques). ICVs consist mainly of lectures, presentations and workshops by the world’s leading flag experts who have the opportunity to present their research and activities to their international peers.

The 26^th International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) was held recently from 31^st August - 4^th September, 2015 in Sydney, Australia, attended by more than 103 delegates from 25 nations. http://www.icv26.com.au/index.html

ICV 26 consisted 33 lectures on a diverse range of flag topics (these will be published shortly by Flags Australia), excursions to flag related sites, viz. Sydney Observatory Hill Flag display (1^st Sept), visit to Australian War Memorial Annex, Mitchell, Australian War Memorial and Parliament House in Canberra, Avenue of Flags on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin (2^nd Sept), celebrating Australian National Flag Day & Australian Merchant Navy Day. One participant from each nation represented at ICV 26 carried their national flag to the ceremony on 3^rd Sept at Martin Place, catching up with friends with a shared interest at an informal FOTW meeting at Barracks on Barrack.

ICV26 provided ample opportunities to learn new things about flags and their usage, to meet old friends and to find new ones for social interaction and networking. As usual tradition ICV 26 culminated in a final banquet on 4^th September.

“Flags and Stamps” was represented by Sekhar Chakrabarti. He was the sole Indian participant in Sydney Flag Congress. Mr Ralph Kelly, Chair of the Organising Committee for ICV 26, in his letter of invitation on behalf of Flags Australia dated 3 October 2014 wrote; “Our Sydney International congress will be honoured to have you attend. I have pleasant recollections of meeting you in Rotterdam at the 25^th ICV and I greatly appreciated your lecture on the ancient symbols of Indian culture. Your scholarship and contribution to vexillology, philately and national identity in India reflected in your book The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately, a copy of which is in my personal collection”.

On day 2 (Tuesday, 1^st September) Mr Chakrabarti delivered his PPT presentation titled “An early 20^th century Indian National Flag remembering the contribution of an Irish lady made 110 years ago”. It was an attempt to unravel one of the little known aspects of an early proposal for an All India National Flag designed by Sister Nivedita – an Irish lady, resettled in India.
 

 
Jonathan Dixon of ‘Flags Australia’ reports in the Flags of the World (FOTW); “Sekhar Chakrabarti led us to the contribution of an Irish lady to an early 20th century Indian flag by first reflecting on the women celebrated as first flag makers of national flags - in the USA, Philippines, Haiti and Cuba. In contrast, an early proposed Indian national flag was designed by Sister Nivedita. Born Margaret Noble, she was an Irish woman in India at a time when the 1905 partition of India prompted the beginning of the Swadeshi nationalist movement.  She was one of the earliest to suggest that they needed a national flag, and designed a flash employing a yellow thunderbolt symbol, inspired by the Vedas, on a red field between 108 flames and Bengali text meaning "hail to the mother”. This text also appears on later nationalist flags”.

 Placed here are a few images of the Sydney Flag Congress;

Sydney Observatory Hill Flag display (1^st Sept)

 

Presenting books on Indian National Flag to Prof Michel Lupant, President, FIAV. 

Exchange of Flag Books with Mr. Fei Xing of China

Presentation of Indian National Flag made of Khadi cotton to Annie Platoff of the USA

 

Day 3 (2nd Sept): On way to Canberra by bus, seen here Dr David F. Phillips, Director North American Institute of Heraldic and Flag Studies, and Prof. Michel Lupant, President, FIAV

 Visit to Australian War Memorial Annex, Mitchell and Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

Parliament House in Canberra,

 Avenue of Flags on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin 

 Flag Parade (Click here to view the Parade video, courtesy Annie Platoff)

 

  Day 4: Celebrating Australian National Flag Day & Australian Merchant Navy Day.  One participant from each nation represented at ICV 26 carried their national flag to the ceremony on 3^rd Sept at Martin Place

  Catching up with friends with a shared interest at an informal FOTW meeting at Barracks on Barrack.

Day 5: ICV26 provided ample opportunities to learn new things about flags and their usage, to meet old friends and to find new ones for social interaction and networking. As usual tradition ICV 26 culminated in a final banquet on 4^th September

The special post mark commemorating 17^th ICV in 1997, Cape Town, South Africa. Perhaps, it is the only philatelic example on International Flag Congress - a present from Mr Bruce Berry of the South African Vexillological Association (SAVA). 
  

Ralph Kelly and Ralph Bartlett of Flags Australia at the Mt Ainslie Lookout in Canberra (original removed and the cropped version re-posted on 30th Sept.) the duo of the three main architects of the ICV26, who made the Sydney ICV, a GRAND SUCCESS and the most memorable one.

The great inspirational prime-movers of FIAV; Charles A. Spain, Michel R. Lupant and Graham M.P. Bartam.