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Brazilian Galhardetes

19th Century Merchant Ship Pennants

Introduction
Cavalry Standard, 1850
Infantry and Artillery Standard, 1865

Introduction

Some states had old maritime ensigns in the 19th century.
Jaume Ollé, 8 December 1999

The French Navy's Album de Pavillons of 1858 shows a set of galhardetes (normally translated pennants) flown by Brazilian merchant ships to indicate their province of origin. The galhardetes were rectangular, approximately 1:6. They were all simple geometric patterns, more or less like signal flags.
Joseph McMillan, 17 April 2001

LeGras' Album 1858 shows the "galhardetes". They seem to be related to "registration pennants" used on the Iberian peninsula (and France?) in the era (and maybe still nowadays). This is what LeGras have to say about them:

These long rectangular pennants, called Galhardetes, are carried, independently of the national ensign, by the Brazilian merchant vessels to show the province of the Empire it belongs. They are usually 80 cm hoist to 5 m fly, i.e. 1:6.

15 pennants are shown in this order (my "blazon", based on colours reported by Joe McMillan, as the Google scan shows them b/w).

Rio Grande do Sul. (Blue, three white bends)
Rio de Janeiro. (Quartered blue and white)
Sergipe. (Vertical bicolour blue and white)
Parahiba do Norte. (Vertical bicolour white and blue)
Piauhy. (Vertical triband red-white-red)
Santa Catharina. (Vertical bicolour white and red)
Spiritu Santo. (Vertical bicolour blue and red)
Alagoas. (Vertical bicolour red and white)
Rio Grande do Norte. (Horizontal bicolour blue and white)
Maranhão.(Vertical triband blue-red-blue)
San Paulo. (Vertical 4-stripes white-blue-red-white)
Bahia. (Red, three white bends)
Pernambuco (Fernambouc). (Horizontal bicolour red and blue)
Céará. (Quartered red-white-white-blue)
Para. (Vertical bicolour red and blue)

Rio Grande do Sul

image by Joseph McMillan

Blue, three white bends.

Rio de Janeiro

image by Joseph McMillan

Quartered blue and white.

The one item of particular interest is that the galhardete for Rio de Janeiro province was divided quarterly, blue and white, very similar to the field of the modern state flag, which is divided quarterly white and blue. It might be interesting to determine if there is any connection.
Joseph McMillan, 17 April 2001