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Bicentennial flag (U.S.)

image by Clay Moss, 15 March 2009

Description of the flag
Logo

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Description of the flag

The USA Bicentennial of the American Revolution flag was flown on all government flag poles from 1975 to 1983.
T.F. Mills, 14 March 2009

The American Revolution Bicentennial flag was a product of the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee or Association. The star logo was the association's official emblem and was displayed in and on all sorts of items. The largest sample of the star that I am aware of was the one on NASA's vehicle assembly building at Cape Kennedy, Florida. The stayed on the building until the late 1990s.

As far as the flag goes, it first started appearing in the Autumn of 1975 and was used right through 1976. I don't remember all of the particular usage details and rules except that it was not initially available to just anybody. As soon as I saw the first ARBA flag, I went to purchase one of my own only to be told that I could not.

Later, the store owner was in the audience at my High School when I gave a flag presentation. He called the next day and asked me to come to his store; that he was now allowed to sell me an ARBA flag but that it could be no larger than 2x3 feet. I went that evening to buy the flag which he had waiting on me. The first surprise I received was a big discount. As he was handing me the package, he said with a wry smile and wink; "Enjoy your 2x3 bicentennial flag!" When I got home and opened it, it was actually 3x5 feet. I was very excited about having the bigger flag but also wondered how boldly I should display my illegal contraband:) I think soon after that, the flag in any size became available to whoever wanted one.

As far as displaying the ARBA flag went, I saw it displayed several ways outdoors. First, I did see the rare 3 flags to a pole. In this arrangement, the ARBA flag would be displayed below the US and state flag. In situations where I saw 2 poles, the ARBA flag would usually fly below the US flag while the state flag would fly alone. And if I recall correctly, the ARBA flag would fly under the US flag at all US government facilities, like the post office, federal buildings, military postings etc..

Clay Moss, 15 March 2009

With the intent of commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776: The plans for the Bicentennial began when Congress created the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission on July 4, 1966. Initially, the Bicentennial celebration was planned as a single city exposition (titled Expo '76) that would be staged in either Philadelphia or Boston. After 6½ years of tumultuous debate, the Commission recommended that there should not be a single event, and Congress dissolved it on December 11, 1973, and created the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA), which was charged with encouraging and coordinating locally sponsored events. The logo consisted of a white five-point star inside a stylized star of red, white and blue. It was encircled by the inscription American Revolution Bicentennial 1776–1976 in Helvetica Regular. An early use of the logo was on a 1971 US postage stamp.
Sources: https://www.cghnyc.com/work/project/u-s-bicentennial and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bicentennial

The flag is a white horizontal background with the symbol (logo) in the middle. The logo was a precursor to the NASA logo, (the so called "worm" logo) that Richard Danne and Bruce N. Blackburn at Chermayeff & Geismar designed in 1974 (https://www.moma.org/collection/works/467589).
Sources: https://www.cghnyc.com/work/project/u-s-bicentennial
https://www.fastcompany.com
https://standardsmanual.com

A construction sheet is also available (from https://www.cghnyc.com/work/project/u-s-bicentennial).

Esteban Rivera, 25 August 2025

Logo

image located by Esteban Rivera, 25 August 2025
Source: https://www.cghnyc.com/work/project/u-s-bicentennial