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Between the years 1974 to 2008, this flag was flown throughout Des Moines. After almost a decade of neglect, we stepped up and started a grassroots campaign to bring this iconic flag back for good. After being re-acknowledged by city council as our official flag in October of 2019, we are proud to act as stewards for this image and keep it thriving.
We have exciting plans for the future of this symbol, so please follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter below for updates.
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Handmade in Des Moines
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In March of 1974, a seventh-grade teacher named Gerald LaBlanc and some of his students from Callanan Middle School persuaded the City Council and Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce to host a citywide flag design contest. There were nearly 400 entries from Des Moines residents — ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. The contest winner was Walter “Bud” T. Proctor, an editor, publisher, and founder of American Host, a hotel-motel-resort industry magazine. Of his design, Proctor said, “…I wanted simplicity… an easy-to-recognize symbol people could see and recognize at once.”
When seen together, this flag’s colors and symbols combine into a timeless and modern piece of our design history that deserves to be cherished for generations to come.
The simplicity of the shapes, drawn from symbols known to Des Moines, make this a design one can easily recall from memory.
Blue: The blue symbolizes the great Raccoon and Des Moines rivers whose union made this location in Iowa the perfect place for its capital city.
White: The three white color blocks–originally conceived as the Walnut, Locust, and Grand bridges — encompass the many great bridges of Des Moines that serve to connect us east and west.
Red: The red trapezoid represents the city of Des Moines and its passionate residents who serve as its life blood.
“What I love about flags is that once you understand the design of flags — what makes a good flag, what makes a bad flag — you can understand the design of almost anything.”
—Roman Mars, 99% Invisible
Tag the flag! Follow us on Instagram @flagofdesmoines or use the hashtag #flagofdesmoines to show how much you love our great flag.
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Emily and Mason are a husband and wife duo that feel fortunate to be part of the incredible, creative community that is Des Moines. In 2017, when we read about the flag of Des Moines, we were shocked to learn how little support or awareness there was of this icon. We decided we'd set out to change that.
Together we also run Yellow Door Gallery a traveling art gallery/consultancy and Kettle Black Ceramics a small studio producing functional ceramics available at local small business.
E-mail is the best way to reach us. Let us know how you can support our mission to promote the flag. We're also here to answer your questions and hear your ideas and feedback.
Flag of Des Moines
2121 Wakonda Dr.
Des Moines, IA 50321
info@flagofdesmoines.com
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