Standard Island (book)

Standard Island (1895) is about a group of super-rich Americans who build themselves a huge, self-propelled floating island on which to tour the world in ultra-luxury — the 19th-century prognostication of the cruise ship, I guess. This book is also considered one of JV's lesser efforts.
Eugene Ipavec, 15 March 2006

Standard Island

The flag of Standard Island appears early (quote taken from here):

Sur cette plate-forme, se dresse la hampe d'un gigantesque pavillon, dont l'étamine flotte au souffle d'une brise du nord.

Quelle nationalité indique ce pavillon? Aucun de nos Parisiens ne peut le reconnaître. C'est bien le pavillon américain avec ses raies transversales rouges et blanches; mais le yacht, au lieu des soixante-sept étoiles qui brillaient au firmament de la Confédération à cette époque, n'en porte qu'une seule: une étoile, ou plutôt un soleil d'or, écartelé sur l'azur du yacht, et qui semble rivaliser d'irradiation avec l'astre du jour.

«Notre pavillon, messieurs,» dit Calistus Munbar en se découvrant par respect.

The following translation is from Babelfish, cleaned up some by me:

On this platform rises the flagstaff of an enormous flag, whose bunting flows in the breath of of the north wind.

What nationality does the flag indicate? None of our Parisians can recognize it. It is like the American flag, with its red and white stripes; but in the canton, instead of the sixty-seven stars which shine in the firmament of the Union at the time, there is only one: a star, or rather a golden sun, quartered on the azure of the canton, almost seeming to rival the radiance of the day star.

«Our flag, gentlemen,» said Calistus Munbar, removing his hat in respect.

In the image above, I tried to give the sun an elaborate, Victorian look.
Eugene Ipavec, 15 March 2006

Standard-Island Company

The following is probably the flag of the Standard-Island Company since the second passage would described it if it were different:

The horn has something to do with the gaff. "Developing" means unfurling, in this case.
Jan Mertens, 15 March 2006

United States of America

The USA in this book has 67 states as can be seen in the two following quotes:

C'est bien le pavillon américain avec ses raies transversales rouges et blanches;

(…)

le yacht,

(…)

soixante-sept étoiles qui brillaient au firmament de la Confédération à cette époque

(…)

Dans le cours de cette année-là, — nous ne saurions la préciser à trente ans près, — les États-Unis d'Amérique ont doublé le nombre des étoiles du pavillon fédératif. Ils sont dans l'entier épanouissement de leur puissance industrielle et commerciale, après s'être annexé le Dominion of Canada jusqu'aux dernières limites de la mer polaire, les provinces mexicaines, guatémaliennes, hondurassiennes, nicaraguiennes et costariciennes jusqu'au canal de Panama.

Translating as:

the American flag, with its red and white stripes;

(…)

in the canton,

(…)

the sixty-seven stars which shine in the firmament of the Union at the time

(…)

In the course of this year,— we could not specify it within a margin of thirty years,— the United States of America doubled the number of stars on its Federal flag. It was in the full bloom of its industrial and commercial power, having annexed the Dominion of Canada to the furthest edge of the polar sea, the Mexican provinces, the Guatemalan, Hondurian, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican, all the way to the Panama Canal.

In the image above, I went with a 10-9-10-9-10-9-10 star arrangement.
Eugene Ipavec, 15 March 2006

Standard Island (book)

Introduction

Standard Island

Standard-Island Company

United States of America