In the time before 1901, it was impossible that two ships of different nationalities could communicate with each other using signal flags.
The reason for this was that the flag alphabet was a military secret.
The international flag alphabet first became universally valid with the publication of the International Code of Signals in 1901.
Since then it has been revised several times, and with the advent of modern communication methods after the founding of the IMO in 1959, it has been further streamlined.
The International Maritime Organisation – IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was established in 1948 but only came into force, with amended rules, 10 years later. On the 13.January1959, work began in London.

The system of international maritime signal flags is a way of representing individual letters of the alphabet in signals to or from ships.
It is a component of the International Code of Signals. Each flag spells out an alphabetic message letter by letter. Numbers are transmitted in the same way.

In contrast to the flag alphabet is flag semaphore.
Information is conveyed at a distance by means of hand-held flags, and encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flags are in a fixed position.

On our poster, you can see both.
The flag alphabet and flag semaphore. The many coloured flags which represent the numerals are also specified.
Further, the flag alphabet demonstrates the Morse signal for each letter.

Captions and explanations are in English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish.

Size: 68 x 98 cm Art print on 100g paper, coated with matt varnish.