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New Haven, Connecticut (U.S.)

New Haven County

image by Dave Martucci, 25 August 2010

Description of the flag
Detail of seal

See also:

Description of the flag

The city clerk of the City of New Haven, Connecticut, informed me that the city uses a white flag with a black city seal on it. Wikipedia shows the
flag with a blue seal - which is wrong. Here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:NewHavenFlag.PNG.
Valentin Poposki, 29 October 2008

I have seen a copy of the New Haven City Flag up close in New Haven and the seal was printed in dark blue. Here is an account of the designing of the seal from the New Haven Public Library:

In "History of the City of New Haven to the Present Time" (Edward E. Atwater, ed., 1887; p. 458), a slightly different design is depicted with an inscription above the disk that reads "MARE LIBERUM." On the same page it is mentioned that the original seal was lost and that there had been "a good deal of discussion as to the lost seal formerly used, but its history has become covered with obscurity."

In "Three Centuries of New Haven, 1638-1938" Rollin Osterweis wrote the following about the original seal:

When our citizens look upon the original seal of their city, they are inspecting the joint handiwork of two distinguished New Haveners, Ezra Stiles and James Hillhouse. Collaborating with them was Josiah Meigs, clerk of the city administration and a tutor on the college faculty. The story of the designing of the seal emerges from entries in Stiles' Diary, during February, 1785. On February 3 the president noted: "With Messrs. Hillhouse and Meigs devising a City Seal." Eight days later he wrote triumphantly: "Finished the City Seal. The Devise, the Harbour of New Haven, a Ship at the Entrance, and an Ionic Pillar entwined with a Grape Vine. Under the Ship at the Mouth of the Harbour, MARE LIBERUM; and round the Seal SIGILL. CIVITAT. NOVI-PORT. IN REPUB. CONNECTICUTENSI. 1784."

Both the motto "Mare Liberum" and the grapevine appear to have been lost to history.

Dave Martucci, 25 August 2010

Detail of Seal

image by Dave Martucci, 25 August 2010