Still Life with Robin: Just in Time for Flag Day....

99 Percent Invisible: True South Flag

by Peggy Robin

Just in time for Flag Day (coming up this Monday, June 14), there’s an episode of the podcast 99 Percent Invisible devoted to stories about flags. You don’t need to save it for the 14th, as it’s not about the design or display of the American Flag, which is the object of Monday’s rituals and ceremonies. This episode of the podcast is divided into two stories, one 32 minutes long and the other 12 minutes – both well worth a listen:  https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/flag-days-good-luck-true-south/

The first story is about the Japanese custom during World War II to give the gift of a flag to departing soldiers as they went off to war. The flag was not the simple national flag of Japan -- the simple red circle in the middle of a white field -- but it was decorated all over with good luck messages and other personal wishes, handwritten by all the service member’s friends and family. Not many of these flags came home with the defeated soldiers and sailors who had carried them into battle. The story in the podcast is is the touching account of one such flag and its journey. Warning: if you are at all sentimental, keep a handkerchief handy! 

The second story concerns a land that has no flag – Antarctica -- and the quest of one committed flag designer to create one for it.

By the way, the podcast 99 Percent Invisible has a backlist of hundreds of episodes on an astonishing variety of design-related subjects. Taking a long car trip this summer? You can stock up on podcasts at:
https://99percentinvisible.org/episodes/?view_option=list or search for episodes by categories, including:  Architecture; Infrastructure; Cities: Objects; Sounds; Visuals; Technology; History.

Unexpected bonus: You may find (as I have) that Roman Mars, the host and main creative force behind 99 Percent Invisible, has the most mellifluous voice in radio!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.