Refiner

Is it a science? Is it an art? I propose that it be considered both. Just as Digital Technology& Culture has become a degree that resides between science and the arts, so should Vexillolography. It is precise and mathematical in design, yet it symbolizes cultures. One cannot separate the two parts from the whole. Flags (and related heraldic devices) may be collected into books and digital archives, but without the background and history of the civilizations they represent, there is no context. I have been a student of vexillolography for nearly half a century. When my elementary school's librarian brought out her display of flags, I could name every country. Thanks to mom for teaching me to read very early and for buying books to keep me occupied. Among those early books was one book about the American flag and another about flags of all nations. I was drawing flags from these and any other books I could lay my hands on. By the time I was 11, I had even started designing my own. My personal collection continues to grow after more than four decades of development. While my cartographical collection suffered flood damage, my vexillological collection did not. When I have time to scan and/or recreate the flags for my fictional Worlds of the Solar System Phantasien, I will add them to my gallery, along with my recently reconstructed maps (now awaiting the scanner). In the meantime, I will collect the beautiful designs I find on DA to look at and draw inspiration from.