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 Misportrayal of the Union Flag

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Anglo-Norman
Consulatus
Anglo-Norman

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Join date : 2012-04-24

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PostSubject: Misportrayal of the Union Flag   Misportrayal of the Union Flag EmptyThu 27 Sep 2012, 15:14

Not sure if this is the right section, but it concerns a national flag, and such flags are part of nationhood, and nation form an aspect of civilisation, so...

Anyway. I've noticed that in a number of cartoons from the late 18th/early 19th century show the Union Flag inaccurately. For example, one from the Napoleonic Wars that I've seen has the colours of the St Andrews Saltire reversed (so the St George's Cross is over a blue saltire, on a white background). On 'The Monsieurs Mistaken', celebrating the Battle of Jersey (1781) you will notice the horizontal bar of the St George's Cross is missing - see the relevant extract from the cartoon below:

Misportrayal of the Union Flag UnionFlag

I find it hard to believe that cartoonists would be ignorant of the national flag, especially given that most of these cartoons were produced at times of war when patriotism/nationalism was on the increase - so is this simple carelessness or is there some specific reason behind it?

(Incidentally, it's interesting that the cartoonist has portrayed the French troops in blue, when at this pre-Revolution stage white would still have been the colour usually associated with the French Army, but that's another story...)
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nordmann
Nobiles BarbariƦ
nordmann

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Join date : 2011-12-25

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PostSubject: Re: Misportrayal of the Union Flag   Misportrayal of the Union Flag EmptySat 06 Oct 2012, 11:48

In the 17th and 18th centuries it wasn't uncommon for privateers to fly a version of the Union Flag with some small aberration in its design to indicate who they were working for. Many pirates, simply privateers by another name to many people, also apparently did the same. I am wondering if the cartoonist is intentionally making an allusion to this practise for some vague satirical reason now lost to us?
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