House flag, Cairn Line of Steamships Ltd

The House flag of Cairn Line of Steamships Ltd, Newcastle-on-Tyne. A rectangular flag divided into quarters of blue and white. A rope and toggle is attached. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn.

In the early years of the 20th century, the Cairn's cargo steamers used a red House flag with a white pyramid in the centre (a pun on Cairn) with the letters 'CY' in black (the initials of Cairns & Young). In 1907 they purchased William Thomson & Sons and used both the Cairn flag without the lettering and William Thomson's blue and white chequered flag — itself taken over from an earlier shipping firm owned by the Norrie family. After the takeover of the Cairn Line of Steamships by Furness Withy in 1928, the company operated under the blue and white flag, although the white triangle was retained as a funnel insignia.

Object Details

ID: AAA0184
Collection: Textiles; Flags
Type: House flag
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: circa 1951
People: Cairn Line Of Steamships Limited; Pope, Charles Meredyth
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Pope Collection. We regret that Museum enquiries have not been able to identify the copyright owner of the flag's emblem and would welcome any information that would help us update our records. Please contact the Picture Library.
Measurements: flag: 609.6 x 914.4 mm