Flag of San Francisco facts for kids
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| Use | Civil flag |
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| Adopted | December 16, 1940. Pictured version is c. 1940. |
| Design | A white field with a yellow border, with a phoenix rising from flames. On a ribbon below, "Oro en paz. Fierro en guerra." with "SAN FRANCISCO" in blue at the bottom. |
The Flag of the City and County of San Francisco is the municipal flag of San Francisco, California. The flag's central symbol, a rising phoenix, often is assumed to refer to the city's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires. However, the phoenix had been a civic symbol of San Francisco at least since 1852, when it featured on the first official seal of the City. The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco codified the design of the current flag on December 16, 1940.
Contents
History
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In 1900, banker and art patron Mayor James Duval Phelan, mayor from 1897 to 1902, recommended to the Board of Supervisors that San Francisco adopt a flag and motto. Over 100 designs were submitted and John M. Gamble's proposal was selected. It depicts a phoenix rising from its ashes on a white field. The mythological phoenix appears in many ancient cultures and is a symbol of immortality. When the long-lived phoenix feels death is near, it builds a nest of aromatic wood and sets it afire. A new phoenix then arises from the ashes, just as San Francisco arose from the great fires of the 1850s. The motto "Oro en paz y fierro en guerra" "Gold in Peace and Iron in War" refers to the city's then-recent experience during the Spanish–American War as the embarkation point for troops to the Philippines in 1898.
Design
Below the phoenix is a banner which reads in Spanish, Oro en Paz—Fierro en Guerra (English: "Gold in Peace, Iron in War"). Because of this, the official city colors are gold and black; these two colors decorate the dome of San Francisco City Hall.
The yellow border, now reproduced as a part of the flag was originally intended to be a gold fringe, but mistakenly became incorporated into the design. When used indoors, as is the custom, a gold fringe is added to what was originally intended to be the fringe.
Images for kids
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1929 replacement copy of original 1900 San Francisco flag designed by Robert Ingersoll Aitken.
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Flag of San Francisco 1900–1940
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The flag of NAVA Meeting 21, hosted in San Francisco. NAVA meeting flags often incorporate elements to reflect the host city.
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See also
In Spanish: Bandera de San Francisco para niños
