Auguste Georges Vachon, AIH FRHSC is a Canadian officer of arms. He held the post of Saint-Laurent Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the Canadian Heraldic Authority from its foundation in 1988 until his retirement in 2000. Since then, he has served as Outaouais Herald of Arms Emeritus.
Auguste Vachon holds a master's degree in history from the University of Ottawa. He joined the National Archives of Canada in 1967 as keeper of heraldic collections. With the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988, he was appointed Saint-Laurent Herald and Registrar, a post he held until his retirement in 2000. The governor general of Canada then named him Outaouais Herald Emeritus. He has advanced the knowledge of Canadian emblems by numerous publications in Canada and abroad, as a speaker at several international congresses and by doing research for exhibitions in the field. The Canadian Museum of History has acquired the large collection of heraldic ceramics (more than 1100 pieces) assembled by him and his wife, Paula Gornescu-Vachon, a gift that the Canadian government declared to be of national importance.
Auguste Vachon was granted arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on May 28, 1992. The arms are blazoned:Sable a triple-towered Castle Or windows Gules portcullis shut Sable flaming Gules in chief two Suns Or, and for the crest Above a helmet mantled Sable doubled Or wreathed of these colours a demi bull Gules accorné unguled ringed gorged of oak leaves and belled all Or holding in its dexter hoof a magnifying glass proper rim and handle Sable.
On April 3, 2001 Vachon was granted supporters as an honourable augmentation to his arms in recognition of his distinguished service to Canadian heraldry: Upon a grassy mound set with gloriosa Daisies (Rudbeckia hirta) Or two Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) proper.
In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as attendants, are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up.
Tincture is the limited palette of colours and patterns used in heraldry. The need to define, depict, and correctly blazon the various tinctures is one of the most important aspects of heraldic art and design.
Bleu celeste is a rarely occurring and non-standard tincture in heraldry. This tincture is sometimes also called ciel or simply celeste. It is depicted in a lighter shade than the range of shades of the more traditional tincture azure, which is the standard blue used in heraldry.
In heraldry, an ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use as long as the traditional ordinaries. Diminutives of ordinaries and some subordinaries are charges of the same shape, though thinner. Most of the ordinaries are theoretically said to occupy one-third of the shield; but this is rarely observed in practice, except when the ordinary is the only charge.
The coat of arms of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was designed by Robert Watt, the Chief Herald of Canada at the time, for the City of Toronto after its amalgamation in 1998. The arms were granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on 11 January 1999.
The coat of arms of Sunderland is the official heraldic arms of the City of Sunderland.
The Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms, flags, and badges for Canadian citizens, government agencies, municipal, civic and other corporate bodies. The authority also registers existing armorial bearings granted by other recognized heraldic authorities, approves military badges, flags, and other insignia of the Canadian Forces, and provides information on heraldic practices.
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada is a Canadian organization that promotes interest in heraldry in Canada. It was founded in 1966 and granted royal patronage in 2002.
The most basic rule of heraldic design is the rule of tincture: metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour. This means that the heraldic metals or and argent should not be placed on each other; nor may any of the colours be placed on another colour. Heraldic furs as well as "proper" are exempt from the rule of tincture.
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
John Philip Brook Brooke-Little was an English writer on heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of Heraldic Antiquaries, now known as the Heraldry Society and recognised as one of the leading learned societies in its field. He served as the society's chairman for 50 years and then as its President from 1997 until his death in 2006.
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies was a British expert on heraldry. His Complete Guide to Heraldry, published in 1909, has become a standard work on heraldry in England. A barrister by profession, Fox-Davies worked on several notable cases involving the peerage, and also worked as a journalist and novelist.
Claire Boudreau, was a Canadian historian, genealogist, and officer of arms. She served as a herald in the Canadian Heraldic Authority from 17 March 1997 in the office of Saguenay Herald and later as Saint-Laurent Herald, to which office she succeeded on the retirement of Auguste Vachon, and then Deputy Chief Herald from 1 December 2005 until 16 June 2007, when she was made the second Chief Herald of Canada following the retirement of Robert Watt. She was also a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in heraldic studies. She was the author of many articles and publications. She was the principal designer and administrator of the authority's pioneering online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada, which was unveiled in July 2005. She was made an Academician of the Académie Internationale d'Héraldique in 2000. On May 20, 2020, Boudreau was appointed Margaree-Chéticamp herald emeritus and succeeded as Chief Herald of Canada by Samy Khalid.
The coat of arms of Cape Town is the traditional symbol of the municipality of Cape Town. The original arms from the 20th century are no longer in official use, though no new arms have yet been adopted.
Graham Leslie Anderson, was a British-born Canadian heraldic scholar and officer of arms. Anderson was formerly a student of Shawnigan Lake School and he began teaching at the School in 1957. He was the longest serving staff member at Shawnigan. He held the title of Senior Master Emeritus. He served as a housemaster for almost 30 years, and taught in the Social Studies department. He was also the caretaker of the chapel organ, the second largest pipe organ on Vancouver Island. Anderson was also the caretaker of the rifle range now known as the Graham Anderson Range.
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb to blazon means to create such a description. The visual depiction of a coat of arms or flag has traditionally had considerable latitude in design, but a verbal blazon specifies the essentially distinctive elements. A coat of arms or flag is therefore primarily defined not by a picture but rather by the wording of its blazon. Blazon is also the specialized language in which a blazon is written, and, as a verb, the act of writing such a description. Blazonry is the art, craft or practice of creating a blazon. The language employed in blazonry has its own vocabulary, grammar and syntax, which becomes essential for comprehension when blazoning a complex coat of arms.
In heraldry, a pile is a charge usually counted as one of the ordinaries. It consists of a wedge emerging from the upper edge of the shield and converging to a point near the base. If it touches the base, it is blazoned throughout.
Cornish heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in Cornwall, United Kingdom. While similar to English, Scottish and Welsh heraldry, Cornish heraldry has its own distinctive features. Cornish heraldry typically makes use of the tinctures sable (black) and or (gold), and also uses certain creatures like Cornish choughs. It also uses the Cornish language extensively for mottoes and canting arms.
The coat of arms of the London Borough of Camden were granted on 10 September 1965. The borough was formed by the merger of three former boroughs, namely the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead, the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn and the Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras, from whose arms elements were utilised in the arms of the new borough.
The coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon is the official heraldic arms of the London Borough of Croydon, granted on 10 December 1965.