Someone who studies flags academically is known as a vexillologist. While vexillology encompasses a wide range of disciplines, at its most basic level, it is the art of flag identification. Dr. Whitney Smith coined the term vexillology in 1957, deriving it from the Latin word vexillum. The word vexillum literally means “small sail” and refers to a flag used the ancient Romans.
Dr. Smith coined the term vexillology in response to his desire to study flags scholarly, which he did with great success, becoming not only the world’s first, but also the most respected vexillologist. Dr. Smith coined the terms vexillophiles for flag hobbyists and vexillographers for flag designers in addition to vexillology. Dr. Smith made significant contributions to the study of vexillology in the 1960s founding the Flag Research Center and the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA). He also organized the first International Congress of Vexillology and authored a number of books and resources on the subject, including The Flag Bulletin, which is considered one of the most scholarly vexillological resources in the world.
To varying degrees, one can be a vexillologist. It doesn’t have to be any more difficult than collecting and studying flags in one’s spare time. However, it is a serious academic field, and there are numerous options for furthering the study. One can look for and join various vexillology organizations, as well as subscribe to or purchase a variety of books and publications on the subject. Many organizations teach vexillologists not only about different flags, but also about the historical and ideological contexts in which they are studied and designed.
The dedicated vexillologist will scour historical records in order to fully comprehend the many symbols found in various flags, looking into not only the origins of a flag, but also the ideas and ideals that went into its creation, as well as the various changes it has undergone since its inception. Semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, and heraldry, the study of coats of arms and badges, are natural extensions of these studies for any vexillologist. Given that flags are a medium for communicating cultural values and ideals through signs, symbols, and colors, something that coats of arms and badges do on a smaller scale with family lineages, vexillology combines both disciplines. Many vexillologists use their extensive symbol knowledge to create their own flags or personal coats of arms as a way of documenting their own history and value sets.