The flag of Birmingham, Alabama, is a tricolor of red and white, with the city's seal in gold on a red star, surrounded by 67 golden stars and 85 golden rays.
Symbolism[]
The seal suggests that Vulcan, Roman god of smiths and metalworkers, and hence, of industry, is bestowing his blessing upon the city. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Birmingham was the center of the iron and steel industry in the Southern states. The designer carefully explained the remainder of the flag’s symbolism:
The WHITE is symbolic of the purity of our women; the RED typifies the valor of our men; the GOLD hints not only of the fabulous mineral wealth of this district, but also represents the high standard of purpose and character of our citizens.
The larger RED star represents our marvelous young city; in its center is the golden official seal (with the year of our City’s birth, 1871, added to it), and surrounded by a golden “hub”, which signifies that Birmingham is considered the industrial, financial, and aerial “hub” of the South.
The SIXTY-SEVEN GOLD stars surrounding the large RED star, represent the sixty-seven counties of Alabama enjoying correlative glory of our ‘Magic City.’
The GOLDEN RAYS or sunbeams depict our city’s fame and prosperity, and also suggest that ‘all roads lead to Birmingham’—à la Imperial Rome.
Flag redesigns[]
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