Vexillology is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.
Whitney Smith Jr. was an American vexillologist. He coined the term vexillology, which refers to the scholarly analysis of all aspects of flags. He was a founder of several vexillology organizations. Smith was a Laureate and a Fellow of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations.
A flag of Antarctica is a flag or flag design that represents the continent of Antarctica. As a condominium with no single governing body, it does not have an official flag of its own. However, several designs have been created for the purpose of representing the continent.
The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is a membership organization devoted to vexillology, the study of flags. It was founded in 1967 by American vexillologist Whitney Smith, and others. Its membership of 1,100+ comprises flag scholars, enthusiasts, designers, collectors, conservators, educators, merchants, manufacturers, historians, and hobbyists from most states and provinces of the United States and Canada, and more than 30 other countries.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization. It has dedicated itself to spreading a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada, including its people, places, natural and cultural heritage, as well as its environmental, social and economic challenges.
The International Federation of Vexillological Associations is an international federation of 53 regional, national, and multinational associations and institutions across the globe that study vexillology, which FIAV defines in its constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge."
The Flag Institute is a membership organisation and UK-registered educational charity devoted to the study and promotion of flags and flag flying. It documents flags in the UK and around the world, maintains a UK Flag Registry, and offers advice and guidance about flags and their design and usage. It is often consulted on these matters but holds no official status or authority.
William George (Bill) Crampton was a British vexillologist. His chief legacy, the Flag Institute, has hundreds of members in the UK and overseas. He was recognised as Britain's foremost authority on flags by government agencies, the flag trade, the media, publishers, librarians and vexillologists of all ages and backgrounds. He served as a president of Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques, the International Federation of Vexillological Associations.
Ottfried Neubecker was a German vexillologist and heraldist.
Frederick Gordon Brownell was a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.
Alfred Znamierowski was a Polish vexillologist, heraldist, illustrator, and journalist. During his career he published several books and designed hundreds of coats of arms, flags, banners and seals for over 200 different municipalities and institutions.
The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict is a nonfiction book by respected flag historians Howard M. Madaus and Whitney Smith. This book chronicles some significant flags of the Zaricor Flag Collection. The authors originally created the book as an exhibition catalog for a some flag exhibitions, but the work grew into a large format hardcover book. The book was seen as one of the most significant flag book of the past three decades.
Andrii Grechylo, is a Ukrainian historian, heraldist and vexillologist. During his career he has published several books and designed hundreds of coats of arms, flags, banners and seals for over 1000 different municipalities and institutions.
Grace Rogers Cooper was a Smithsonian Institution curator, U.S. textile expert and vexillogist, known primarily for her seminal work Thirteen-Star Flags: Keys to Identification, published in 1973, which exposed a number of "antique" flags as modern replicas.