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Monday, July 20, 2009

Flying Colors! Creative Paint on Airliners


"QUANTUM SHOT" #580
Link - by A. Abrams




The sky is blue, so why your plane should be simply white? Paint it in all the colors of a sunset... and pretty up the skies!

Some airline companies are clearly out-painting competition with their groovy air fleet. Often called "aircraft livery", such special paint schemes can be exciting and even inspirational. Japan Airlines with their Disney jumbo jets comes to mind, in particular, plus Australian Qantas Airways has been commissioning famous artists to come up with exotic art for their "birds".

On this page we feature some particularly wild and even outrageous airliner paint schemes, from all over the world - send us more examples you spot in the airports or even if you had opportunity to fly inside one of these yourself...


SkyEurope Airlines smile in the sky, photo by Peter de Jong

Or a wicked mummy image (Astraeus - Iron Maiden plane)? Why not! -


(images credit: Sergio Mota and Tom Turner)


Art Planes and Special Event Promotions

First off, Qantas unveiled truly mind-boggling painting scheme for its jumbo jets in "Flying Art" series... (more info) -


Photo courtesy Nathan Zalcman, Arliners.net

Qantas even used some groovy lighting to make a memorable presentation for the delivery of its first A380 -


(image credit: Rob Neil, Pacific Wings Magazine)

Lufthansa's soccer nose - more info, and the whole 2006 FIFA World Championship team painted on TunisAir Airbus A320:


image credit: ChW


JAL "Samurai" national soccer team, photo by Farhad Piran


AirAsia Manchester United soccer players, photo by GlobalPics and EuroFly's Airbus, photo by Mario J. Craig

Aeroflot's Boeing 767-300 "Russian Olympic Team" -


(image via)

From abstract art to portraits of famous people -


Austrian Airlines, photo by Christian Hauser

Smiling faces, and overall cute demeanor -


German Wings "Berlin" plane, photo D. Lausberg, another German Wings smile - photo by kamil Macniak


Zsuzsanna Laky (Miss Europe 2003), photo by Toni Marimon, and "Adriana" plane from SkyEurope Airlines - photo by Eduard Brantjes


Air New Zealand "Lord of the Rings" livery, photos by Michael Carter, Ryan C. Umphrey

Animated characters! -


JAL Boeing 747-446D and other "Dream Express" variations, photos by Kazutaka Yagi, Avibear, Andrew Hunt

Most colorful Dream Express, in two different flavours! -


(image credit: Simon Brooke)


All Nippon Airways, photo by Michael F. McLaughlin


Another All Nippon Airways, photo by Kota Murahashi


(image credit: Shotaro Shimizu)


(image credit: Xu Zheng)


Simpsons livery, photo by AirNikon


Commercial Branding and Advertising on Planes

Did you know there was a "Pepsi" Concorde? - more info here -


(image credit: Stefan Bjärkemark)

Virgin Blue (from Australia) advertising Gillette - more info:


(images via 1)


Bulgari Designer Watches, photo by Don Boyd - and Avis car in the skies, photo by Mark A. Harris


Malaysia Airlines, photo by Brendan Vanderwerf, and "Sleep Well" plane - photo by Trevor Mulkerrins


Dragon Air, photo by Avibear



Alaskan Air - and Horizon Air cool livery, photos via

Even NATO joined in with their own creative military plane livery:


(image credit: Michael Balter)

... Incredible painted German "Tornado" jets formation! -


(image credit: Ronnie Stiffel)

Apparently you have to be very careful where you place your artwork - mind these window openings! In some cases they appear to be placed strategically, covering this girl areas? -


(image credit: Timo Breidenstein)

... and in others, it's clearly a "fail" situation - see the ugly window openings instead of nice eyes of girl on the right:


(image credit: Stewart Andrew)

And finally, in terms of luring passengers into the planes... Western Pacific marketers seem to get it right:


(image credit: Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ, via Airliners.net)

Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook
Category: Airplanes,Art

READ RECENT POSTS:


Fascinating Matchbook Art

Always Striking! Classic Matchbooks, Part One

Biscotti Bits
Mixed Links & Images

Incl. "Clumsy Heinz Automatons"


Never Give Up! Crazy Logistics, Part 12

Not safe, by any stretch of imagination

COMMENTS::

26 Comments:

Blogger markb120 said...

Great pictures! But how could you miss this one -
http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/Freebies/NoseArt/santa-plane.jpg

___  
Blogger Phosphan said...

One of the "Tornado" jets is a MiG-29. Never mind, nice pictures :-)

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Blogger R.K. McSwain said...

Don't forget Shamu...

http://tinyurl.com/lxr9r5

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Anonymous Andyman said...

Some of the art is wonderful but the advertisements are off putting. Is there any place the won't stick an ad?

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Anonymous Exodus said...

It is BVLGARI not BULGARI

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Anonymous Exodus said...

nevermind, you were right I was wrong. It actually is BULGARI with an U

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Blogger Stealthy Dachshund said...

Gorgeous stuff! Is that a Mig? I thought it was an F-18? Still pretty.

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Blogger GaryM said...

Hard to imagine the extra weight this adds to aircraft, not to mention extra drag as opposed to a polished aluminum skin. Extra weight + drag = higher fuel consumption = more $$$.

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Blogger brian t said...

That Astraeus plane was indeed painted for Iron Maiden, last year. It was co-piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson, who is a commercial pilot for Astraeus when not with Iron Maiden.

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Anonymous Slow Joe Crow said...

On the subject of famous people on aircraft it's worth mentioning that the man on the tail of Alaska Airlines' regular planes is William Seward, who as Secretary of State arranged the purchase of Alaska from Russia.

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Anonymous José M. / 4PS_Gizmo / SanglassPatrol said...

Tal vez quieras añadir a Bar Rafaeli

Maybe you want add Bar Rafaeli

___  
Blogger Jeremy said...

One note on semantics: The paint scheme of any airliner (special or not) is known as "livery" -- more specifically, airlines have "liveries", and gthe airliners are painted in it. What you are showing are "Special" or "Commemorative" liveries.

Militaries have been doing this sort of thing for decades. The Canadian Forces, for example, have a long history of commemorative paint schemes, including several quite famous schemes for the CF-104 Starfighter (at least half a dozen different tiger-striped ones over the course of two decades, for example) and a quite spectacular blue, white and gold CF-18 scheme celebrating 100 years of flight in Canada.

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Blogger Glen said...

that is indeed a Mig-29 Germany acquired two squadrons of them when they reunited.

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Blogger Nils Holdrinet said...

Qoute GaryM: Hard to imagine the extra weight this adds to aircraft, not to mention extra drag as opposed to a polished aluminum skin. Extra weight + drag = higher fuel consumption = more $$$.

Not really, even the aircraft with a "polished aluminium skin" have several coats of paint (albeit clear paint) on them. It protects the metal against the weather and against UV-radiation.

Aircraft "paint" (it's more a kind of polyurethane coating)is very specialized, it's adapted to the kind of flights the aircraft is going to do. A short-haul aircraft will have a different paint than a long-haul intercontinental jet. Also a lot of airlines have their own mix of paint suited for their operation.

But in a way you are correct, an unpainted plane would be lighter and therefore cheaper to operate. But the aircraft will unprotected and will have a much, much shorter lifetime. And planes are quite expensive to replace ;)

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OpenID aviageek said...

Very nice pictures!
Thanks for sharing ;)

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Blogger naoyuki said...

This guy catches every rare things come to chitose AP
http://www.lnet.ne.jp/~aaa/sub186.html

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

after testing by german luftwaffe and other nato alliance partners the mig 29 jets were delivered to the polish air force in 2003

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Anonymous tman said...

Actually you are incorrect Nils, American Airlines does not use a clear coat paint. The surface is polished aluminum. The planes get polished at the Main Base Visit heavy checks with what looks like a large shoe polisher on the end of a weed eater. It saves an incredible amount of weight and wear is not much of a problem due to the oxidation of the aluminum. As far as drag is concerned, a well done paint job can actually reduce the drag slightly over polished aluminum because rivet heads and seams can get filled smooth (but I re-iterate that it must be a very good paint job). One of the dilemma's AA has is what to do with the composite 787.

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Anonymous Website Design Calgary said...

Does anyone know if these liveries are painted or are they done in a similar way to vehicle wraps? Since nobody is going to be that close, I can imagine the detail isn't important, but the cost of hand painting an area that large, versus printing on a decal and applying it, would be astronomical.

~Nick

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Blogger Quinny said...

The "Mummy Plane" is Iron Maiden's jet from their "Somewhere Back In Time" Tour.

Otherwise known as Flight 666 and flown by Bruce Dickenson himself.

Shame on you! "Mummy Plane"... I mean, REALLY.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Kitty plane. Inside and out.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/1475944817_d200ffcaaa_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1247/1475944817_d200ffcaaa_o.jpg

Some heart plane :
http://www8.thomascook.info/tck/downloads/willybird_landung_fra_290306_3.jpg

And one more Mickey Mouse :
http://www.alaskasworld.com/newsroom/asnews/images/disney_hi.jpg

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

Probably the same way the us flag on Saturn V was: a giant sticker - so yeah, probably vinyl and making sure there's no bubbles

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

To add to the above, I can't see them hiring a bunch high rated artists to do some photorealistic jobs, so there's your answer.

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Anonymous German Wings Airlines said...

Hi everybody, For more details on German Wings Airlines like airlines information, history, destinations, fleets, Thomas Cook Airlines phone numbers, code share agreement and baggage information visit "Altiusdirectoy.com". This URL may be useful.

http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Travel/german-wings-airlines.php

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Blogger newbie said...

There can't be stickers on planes because the speeds are so high. Even normal paint would peel off a plane.

Does that mean that every one of those people had to be painted on, not decals?

___  
Anonymous Athens Irons said...

Eddie for ever Metal forever

___  

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  • That weird coin is 1 Lats from Latvia (http://www.bank.lv/eng/main/all/lvnaud/coin/1lats/puce/).

    "An owl fibula is featured in the centre of the coin, with the numeral 1 and the inscription LATS placed on the left and right side of it respectively".
    Read more

  • The Latvian Banks Collector coins are even more strange. Fully valid currency.

    http://www.bank.lv/eng/main/all/lvnaud/jubmon/nmp/

    Another wierd story is about the swedish artist who forged 9 pieces of swedish 10 kr coins and spred them into use. They are made out of 10.7 grams of 18 carat gold.

    http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/vissa-mynt-ar-guld-som-glimmar-1.608380

    (sorry, it's swedish but you could try google translate - http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=sv&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dn.se%2Fekonomi%2Fvissa-mynt-ar-guld-som-glimmar-1.608380&sl=sv&tl=en&history_state0= )
    Read more

  • The camp chimney sweep is my favourite.

    http://www.bank.lv/images/img_lb/naudas/images/lats/1_ls_skurstenslaukis_rev.gif
    Read more

  • Check out Vienna... took down their walls and built a beautiful ring road. Good thinking.
    Read more

  • http://www.desicolours.com/top-view-of-forts-in-maharashtra/17/06/2008
    Read more

  • @anonymous

    a beautiful ring road????

    how strange to call that beautiful
    thank God for living in the Netherlands where we don't do that
    Read more

  • one of the most beautiful walled cities I've ever seen is Aigues-Mortes, partially because it never really outgrew it's walls, so it still has the "in-here vs out-there feeling"

    there are also plenty of post-medieval dutch fortifications, known as the "waterlinie", such as Woerden, which was also a roman and medieval city with castles and all, only 20KM from Utrecht

    and many more forts in that style, such as Bourtange (also one of the most beautiful places I've ever been)
    Read more

  • In Verona, Italy there are three walls, Roman, Middle Ages and Austrian-Hungarian.
    Read more

  • How could you overlook Mont St Michel? It's a walled city, still functional today (though its main business today is tourism, plus some income from the surrounding floodplain pasturage), between Normandy and Brittany. The first fortifications were built by William the Conqueror, and it was added onto bit by bit. It was a penal colony for a while, and a monastery for much longer. Today, it is an actual city -- there are people who live there full-time, though they must feel a bit odd with all the tourists tramping around all the time. Carcasonne is another noteworthy walled city, in the south of France, and people still live in it as well.

    While the ancient fortifications of London are not easily visible (apart from the Tower, and some influence on the way roads sprang up), the fortifications of Paris are easier to find. Some sections of medieval wall still stand, and the major routes into the city proper are in the same positions as the ancient portals -- and indeed, are referred to as "portes" even when the ancient archway is no longer present (though in many cases the arch is still there, along with a good bit of wall).
    Read more

  • Calli Arcade - thank you, good point. We did however write about Mont St.Michel - see this DRB page
    Read more

  • The The Walled City of Lahore reminds me of Labyrinth. Does anyone else see the connection?
    Read more

  • Another German city that still retains a good portion of its fortress wall is Rothenburg on der Tauber, also famous for the legendary Meistertrunk, a flagon of beer that, when drunk in one draught by one of the city fathers, saved the town during the Hundred Years War. The event is portrayed on a clock tower, reenacted every year, and numerous tourist trinkets celebrate it. Oh yeah; the town also hosts the original Kriskindlmarkt, or Christmas store, of Kathe Wolfahrt. The store is open year-round, except on Christmas.

    Talk about a busy town!
    Read more

  • Actually the Maginot Line was 100% successful. The Germans never breached it. Unfortunately it did not extend past the Belgian border. That's not an indictment of fortifications. That's an indictment of stupid politics.
    Read more

  • I can't find the amazing Map of Utrecht from "Toonneel der Steden" on the source site you list.

    Do you have a different source site?

    I'm very interested in maps of that period.
    Read more

  • Also worth mentioning: The old city of Rhodes, see http://www.rhodes.gr/portal_gr/photos/images/air01_hires.jpg
    Read more

  • @Alex: 100% is definitely incorrect, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line#German_invasion_in_World_War_II
    Read more

  • Gostei muito,achei fantastico pena que aqui no Brasil não tem arquitetura desse tipo.
    Um Abraço
    Patricio Antonio
    patrcio-a@hotmail.com
    Read more

  • Another walled city is in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City
    Read more

  • Honolulu is older than St Augustine. I suspect a number of US cities have been continually occupied since before Europeans showed up.
    Read more

  • Derry city in Ireland is worth a mention :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry
    Read more

  • I'm days late on this, but it's a shame that you didn't mention Nanjing, China. I don't know if this is true but their Ming dynasty city wall claims to be the longest ever built at over 33km. Whether or not that was true, the many hundreds of years of building & strengthening the wall and its implications during the Rape of Nanking make it rather significant. China also continues to spend a lot of money to keep it in good repair
    Read more

  • About the pictures of Naarden and Heusden (with the star fortifications), I'm pretty sure they were designed by Vauban. So if you wanna see more of them, look him up. Vauban and some pictures here
    And to Alex Epstein, Rommel smashed right though the Maginot line, look it up.
    Read more

  • You forgot Québec, Canada

    "Quebec City was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, and is the only remaining fortified city north of Mexico"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Quebec_City_Wall.jpg
    Read more

  • Thessaloniki, Greece has some of the best surviving walls dating from Roman to Byzantine Empires.
    Imagine a inverted C shaped wall going from ocean to ocean in Santa Barbara, California. Ringing the city in the mountains, in multiple layers as the city grew. The view from the fortifications down onto the Thermaic Gulf is pretty incredible.
    Read more

  • Pingyao (china) is also worth mentioning. Beautiful city which looks as old as her mighty city walls. Like nobody ever crossed the walls since they were constructed.
    Read more

  • Can you imagine how the builders felt when they got done building the wall and the king said, "Ya' know, I think we should build ANOTHER wall in front of the one you just built, so start that first thing in the morning." ahahhahhhhhaaaa
    Read more

  • What about Jerusalem? At least the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_City_of_Jerusalem
    Read more

  • where is Istanbul?
    Read more

  • should check out Derry, Ireland

    http://www.derryswalls.com/hist-walled-cities.html
    Read more

  • I've never understood stamp collecting. I'll admit some of them are very cool and I'm sure that it isn't easy to make but it just doesn't appeal to me. Different folks, different strokes.
    Read more

  • MOON NINJAS!@@!!!!@!$@!#!
    Read more

  • @Anonymous
    "MOON NINJAS!@@!!!!@!$@!#!"

    that looks more like Mars in the background to me....
    Read more

  • My dad has collected thousands of Soviet stamps throughout his youth. It is so exciting everytime to have a look at them. They are simply epic, especially the ones with the theme of space exploration and animals.
    Read more

  • I think we're one of the few countries in the world with such a wide range of accents, especially when relative to our size. We're also one of the few countries in the world that hates those to the north or south of us.
    Read more

  • I feel sorry for those old-time stewardesses. They had to spend their working lives in thick cigarette smoke.
    Read more

  • I certainly can't think of her as my mother... lol
    Read more

  • Those some really awful hats. Really, really hideous.
    Read more

  • I miss the old days. I hate the current PC environment-- it's like they give you the privilege of paying for the flight instead of appreciating your business. AND, I hate the PC no-smoking nazis that appear whenever they see something like this-- as if smoking was the worst thing in the today's world.
    Read more

  • The number 9 pictures are not stewardesses. There hostesses from expo 67 in montreal.
    The logo gave it away...

    Mike
    Read more

  • What about the connection of porn and stewardesses? The "literature" of this subject is really great. Check Flight 69, for example.

    http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7321905&style=ice
    Read more

  • So ... they issued Aeroflot stews with pistols?

    Don't mess with them.
    Read more

  • I keep looking past the ladies to the airline seats of old, which seem so more more comfortable than today's!
    Read more

  • To the person who called me a Nazi; I am not a member of the Nationalist Socialist Party.
    And I did not comment because of any "PC" tendencies; I spoke up because a friend of mine, a former stewardess, has suffered multiple lung problems and surgeries since her early retirement.
    Cigarette smoke is poison and you cannot change that by telling lies about people's motives.
    Read more

  • Sorry, but there has never been a reliable study proving any link between secondhand smoke and health risks.
    I'm not the individual who called the other one a Nazi, but I just thought I'd point that out.
    Read more

  • I agree she is unlike any mother I know of. those come hither eyebrows. Meow.
    Read more

  • @Tennessee: Show me someone with a smoker's afflictions who's never experienced first- or second-hand smoke, and I'll start to care about the lack of studies proving the harm of second-hand smoke.
    Read more

  • Remember... The next time you fly and have to deal with a sour-faced, post-menopausal,hag from hell... These are Them!!!
    Read more

  • What a plesant surprise to see an old photo of a Delta stewardess, in Part 4, that I nearly divorced my wife for. Should have....
    Read more

  • Ah, yes, the good old days. We should definitely bring that back. Luckily women are never, ever actually consumers of commercial flights! So we don't have to worry about the fact that they might want a flight attendant who would be attractive to them, or even might be uncomfortable that the staff's uniforms would be designed to make the women sex objects. Thumbs up for nostalgia!
    Read more

  • I had a wonderful affair with one of the stewardesses in the Delta photo.
    Read more

  • Modern Air Transport had once topless stewardesses. I saw a picture in 'Aviation Week and Space Technology'.
    Read more

  • must see, i love all 4 parts
    Read more

  • Those girls are not very attractive. It's the same way like wit Polish Miss World 1989 - I do not know, why she become miss:|
    Look at her
    Read more

  • Awesome pictures, stevards have indeed been beautiful throughout tens of years.
    Read more

  • Is Dark Roasted Blend code for Middle-Aged men?
    Read more

  • Ahh the good old days, sexy stewardesses, being able to smoke your head off in flight - and we call the modern day progress!!!
    Read more

  • Maybe it's a Fordson Snowdevil
    See it in action
    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=568_1233111054
    Read more

  • I think the boat struck the bridge bringing it down. The stern is now low in the water beacause of the weight of the bridge on it.
    Read more

  • That ILM short was actually done in 2000.
    Read more

  • heres the story with the ship
    http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/ship-collapses-bridge.html
    Read more

  • The Jupiter animation was not made by Cassini. It was made by Voyager 1. ;)
    Read more

  • The second spanish flag, with the oval shape) it's a pre-republican flag. Used until 1931.

    It's followed by the republican tri-color flag and then by the Franco, the dictator, flag, used until 1977 (2 years after his dead).

    Nowadays, it's strange to see republican flags (used in some parades against monarchy or government) with the iconography. Being most in plain tri-color scheme.
    Read more

  • I'm a stamp collector,specializing in "Dead Countries".I find the the
    everyday paraphernalia of fallen countries fascinating.
    Read more

  • I was so excited to see this article. Being Hawaiian now living in NYC I thought I might see the Hawaiian Royal Flag and Arms. Hawaii was a very short but bright Kingdom and I wish we were still independent. Perhaps next time. Great article!
    Read more

  • Great post, as always. Just one thing: of the two flags of Italy, the right one is the royal flag, while the left one is the (current) flag for the navy.
    Read more

  • I read the DRB whenever I can, but this article is great, thanks!
    Read more

  • Some more flags:

    Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Flaga_Rzeczpospolitej_Obojga_Narodow.svg

    Belarusian People's Republic (1918–1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Flag_of_Belarus_1991.svg

    East Germany (1949 – 1990)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Flag_of_East_Germany.svg

    Third Reich (1933–1945)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Flag_of_Germany_1933.svg

    Bavarian Soviet Republic (April – May 1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Socialist_red_flag.svg
    not very sofisticated ;-)

    Republic of Central Lithuania (1920–1922)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Flag_of_Central_Lithuania.svg

    Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków, called also The Republic of Cracow (1815–1846)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Flag_of_Krakow.svg

    Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic (1918)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Flag_DKR.svg

    Commune of the Working People of Estonia (1918–1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Estonianworkerscommuneflag.gif
    Read more

  • In many pictures appears the Catalan flag (four red bars over yellow), which is one of the oldest in Europe (dating back to 1150) and it is still widely use in the territories catalans ruled (includings parts of spain, france, sicily but even athens) until they lost the war against castilians.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senyera

    According to a 14th century legend, the flag dates back from the 9th century, when the four red bars were drawn, as an act of gratitude, on Wilfred I the Hairy's (Count of Barcelona) golden shield by king Charles the Bald's fingers drenched with blood from the Count's war wounds prior to Wilfred's death in 897 during the siege of Barcelona by Lobo ibn Mohammed, the moor governor.

    A slightly modified catalan flag with a star is used nowadays to claim independence for the Catalans.
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  • Great article!!!

    However, the Byzantine flag with the black double-headed bird on a yellow background is related to the Orthodox Church specifically.

    Though they didn't fly flags in the sense that we do today, the banner representing the government in Constantinople was a cross with four betas (pronounced v in Greek), one in each corner.

    The four betas stand for Vasilefs Vasileon, Vasilevon Vasilevonton - Greek for the "King of Kings, Rules the People". It was most likely a reference to Christ, though many contemporary emperors called themselves the king of kings, so we cannot be 100% sure.

    Here is a picture:

    http://www.oramaworld.com/images/flags/4b_300.jpg

    -Alex
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  • Here would be an adition as well, a total different flag for Switzerland, proposed by the French and used in the "Republique Helvetique" for 5yYears, before Switzerland was again Swiss and not French anymore...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetic_Republic
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  • For Yugoslavia (formerly Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians), you only showed coat of arms. Actual flag were simply 3 horizontal stripes: blue, white and red.
    And those stripes stayed for the Yugoslavia till the end in '90. with addition of a red star.

    My point is...if this is wrong, and I read something about Italian flag too...what else is wrong?
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  • Fascinating article and pictures. Thanks, enjoyed it immensely.

    Regards,
    Donna
    Children’s Author
    Donna M. McDine’s Website
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  • Thank you all for great additions and info... the Kingdom of Italy flag was fixed, and we are hoping to include the rest of great tips into a next article about flags.
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  • Great article though is a shame the inclusion of that so-called flags from Japan ¿Do this people have always to do everything copying the west? They have obviously a very poor meaning compared to the flags above. Flags must have significance given by history, they must not become a design hobby. I pity them.
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  • Interesting collection. Just thought I'd point out you got the Iranian flag wrong, that is the Imperial standard and not the state flag that was used up to 1979. The state flag was the Lion and Sun which has a much older history than the Pahlavi Imperial standard.
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  • Some more flags of non-existing countries and provintions related to polish history:

    Free City of Gdańsk (under Prussian protection) [1807-1814]
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Gdansk_flag.svg

    Kingdom of Poland (called also Congress Poland, under Russian protection) [1815-1916]
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Flag_of_the_Congress_of_Poland.svg

    Grand Duchy of Posen (under Prussian protection) [1815-1848]
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Flag_of_Wien.svg

    The same flag as above was used by Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien mit dem Großherzogtum Krakau und den Herzogtümern Auschwitz und Zator (under Austrian protection, what a name - typisch österreichisch) [1772-1918]

    Flag used during January Uprising, with symbols of Poland (eagle), Lithuania (racing knight) and Ukraine (archangel Michael)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Chor%C4%85giew_powsta%C5%84c%C3%B3w_styczniowych.PNG

    And yet another flag of United Kingdom of Poland [1320-1386]
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Alex_K_Kingdom_of_Poland-flag.svg
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  • When I was in high school and a rabid fan of the brand-new "Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD" comic book (which shows you how long ago it was), I drew a pastiche in which Fury exposes a world-domination plot by a cadre of disgruntled descendants of Austro-Hungarians. They dreamed of restoring the True Empire. Wish I'd had your article for reference.

    The interesting thing about flags is that they, like ethnic or territorial claims, are attached to specific dates or events. Like those claims they establish an abstract "year zero" for the flagmaking power. As long as the flagmaker stays in power he gets to wave the real flag on behalf of the true country. Examples: USA; claims by earlier conquerors or the original(?) inhabitants are merely History. Iran: for the late Shah's die-hard gfans his is the real flag, regardless of what came before or after. Similarly the Catalonians can trace their flag to the 12th century, but what was the flag for the 11+ centuries before?

    In the end flags are expressions of the most artificial of human constructs: the country, the nation, the empire, the true faith.
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  • Actually, every town in Japan has its own flag, not just the cities/wards in the Tokyo era.
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  • Good work on the flags, can't wait for part 2!
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  • @Jamie
    Actually, every town in Japan has its own flag, not just the cities/wards in the Tokyo era.

    Actually, many cities around the world have it's flags. I know that every bigger city in Poland has. The same in Germany. And perhaps the same in most of European countries. Some of them contains city coat of arms, some just traditional colors.

    Berlin, Chełm, Wrocław, Warszawa, Kraków, Gdańsk, Wrocław
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  • lots of incorrect historical data...
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  • http://www.dubrovnik-guide.net/pics/thumbs/libertas%20flag.gif

    flag of free state of Dubrovnik, which played important role as one of the biggest mediterian trading harbours in 12th to 18th century, then taken by Napoleon and lost its soverenity.
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  • The double eagle motif was also used in the flag of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick...the fictional country in the novel & film "The Mouse that Roared"
    Johnleemedia
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  • That's pretty cool. I love flags!

    As for the last part showing the Tokyo city flags, they do that in Peru to. They have a flag for every department, province, district and town.
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  • I great source of extinct flags and coats is the Gerle Amorial

    http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k38944m.image.f1.pagination
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  • Very fascinating article. For the flag of Byzantine Empire, i have to add that part of it was what inspired Albanian National Hero , Scanderbeg to use it as the flag that was raised in 1443.

    Best
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  • Oops, Not to toot my own horn but I built a site for exploring flags and their locations. This post is beautiful, I was thinking of adding some of your finds to my site: http://www.flagthousand.com
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  • Hungary's Coat of arms is still the same, so it's not "forgotten":

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary
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  • ht on, Tokyo! Most of the rest are far too elaborate. Who could ever remember what they looked like?
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  • the spanish one is wrong, sorry mate =)
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  • What about Nepal`s Flag.
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  • I'm a stamp collector,specializing in "Dead Countries".I find the the
    everyday paraphernalia of fallen countries fascinating.
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  • I was so excited to see this article. Being Hawaiian now living in NYC I thought I might see the Hawaiian Royal Flag and Arms. Hawaii was a very short but bright Kingdom and I wish we were still independent. Perhaps next time. Great article!
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  • Great post, as always. Just one thing: of the two flags of Italy, the right one is the royal flag, while the left one is the (current) flag for the navy.
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  • I read the DRB whenever I can, but this article is great, thanks!
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  • Some more flags:

    Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Flaga_Rzeczpospolitej_Obojga_Narodow.svg

    Belarusian People's Republic (1918–1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Flag_of_Belarus_1991.svg

    East Germany (1949 – 1990)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Flag_of_East_Germany.svg

    Third Reich (1933–1945)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Flag_of_Germany_1933.svg

    Bavarian Soviet Republic (April – May 1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Socialist_red_flag.svg
    not very sofisticated ;-)

    Republic of Central Lithuania (1920–1922)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Flag_of_Central_Lithuania.svg

    Free, Independent, and Strictly Neutral City of Kraków, called also The Republic of Cracow (1815–1846)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Flag_of_Krakow.svg

    Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic (1918)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Flag_DKR.svg

    Commune of the Working People of Estonia (1918–1919)
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Estonianworkerscommuneflag.gif
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  • Fascinating article and pictures. Thanks, enjoyed it immensely.

    Regards,
    Donna
    Children’s Author
    Write What Inspires You Blog
    Donna M. McDine’s Website
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  • Ahem....the Confederate States of America?
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  • hmmm...lots of eagles on those flags.
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  • Last picture is from guild wars expansion :)
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  • ^^ ... Which makes sense since Daniel Dociu was the lead artist on Guild Wars: Factions -- as well as the other games in the series. (Actually all of the images posted here for him are from Guild Wars: Factions concept art, not just the last one.)

    (And not to get pedantic or anything, but some of those those aren't moving cities... Maybe the Leviathans can be called that although they're more like war vessels, but the other images are just normal cityscape in the game. You can even see it's anchored to rock in the seaside picture.)
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  • I was going to mention Guild Wars too, and Daniel is a major reason why it's one of the most beautiful games out there. I have the "Eye of the North" expansion which is just gorgeous. Immense architecture, sprawling winter landscapes, and that on a really old PC with graphics on "medium-low". Crank up the graphics, you can walk your character around the North with your jaw on your lap.
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  • Okay, so I'm not crazy...I thought those Daniel Dociu pics looked like artwork from Guild Wars: Factions.
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  • i would suggest yoshitaka amano's art for final fantasy 6. very steampunky.

    check it out.
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  • Fantastic artwork.
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  • We ran an interview with Keith Thompson about his artwork last month. You can check it out at http://www.dieselpunks.org/forum/topics/interview-keith-thompson. He really is crazy talented.

    ~Tome
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  • Great interview, thank you Tome
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  • Excellent stuff, with hints of Blur's 'Gentleman's Duel'. Quite a bit of Fossian stuff too.
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  • Welcome to the home of goggle-eyed and coffeine-fed, Neal. Glad to hear from you, the master.
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