There are shapes and images that convey meaning so fast – they are more meaningful than words. They often come from Europe and the some come from ancient times. Their easy of recognition, their speed of understanding, and their universal meaning makes them as useful today as they were in the middle ages. Do you know the history of these? Do you know the meaning? Test yourself on these 9 shapes that are among the most famous. If you have a business in North County San Diego, that is Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad or San Marcos and have a business that could use these shapes – would you?
The barber pole The original of the Barber pole date back to at least the 1500s. cutting hair and cutting other parts of the body were not divided as they are today. The origins of cutting hair date back to Alexander the great who ordered all solders to be shaved so enemies could not grab and hold them while stabbing them. So the short hair of a US Marine today has history dating back to at least 356BC.
Barber Pole in Red White and Blue
Higher education in the middle ages was related to the church. All educated doctors were also clergy and with that can restrictions of defiling the human body. There is a need to cut for a number of reasons. The doctors split into a higher educated (pharmacist) and a lower class of surgeons. The barber shop was a place where boils were drained, amputations preformed and blood letting done. Bloodletting in particular involved finding a blue vein and a white cloth. These were hung out on a pole to dry in the air. This division is recorded between high and low doctors, or doctors and surgeons was known in the 1400s and they had established guilds in the late 1400s. In 1505 Barbers were on the faculty in the University of Paris.
In England by 1745 the Barber-Surgeon guild had an established system of the red-and-white striped pole. Red white and Blue seems to be popular in American, while red and white is popular in Europe. So the barber pole as we know it dates back to at least 1745 and is a surgeon’s guild symbol
The Pawn Shop
The 3 gold balls are the European symbol for money lending. Lending money secured by goods is at least 3000 years old and existed in China. In the middle east Jesus commented about the pawn brokers in front of temples.
Classic pawn show sign
The symbol itself seems to be related to the Medici families in Italy and later the Lombard family in England. Both lent money. The Medici family uses 6 or 7 balls in their family crests or coat of arms. The exact reason for this are cloudy, but it has been suggested they represent dents in a shield resulting from a great battle where the Medici family defended the honor of the church. Another suggestion is a giant was slain with 3 bags of rock on the battlefield. This battle seems to involve the defeat of Emperor Charles the Great. It has also been suggested they were oranges, coins, or gold given as a reward. So whatever the origin, it is a family symbol early in the middle ages and directly related to and Medici family. The Medici family financed most of the construction of Florence and placed their coat of arms on these buildings. The set of balls, at first 7, then 6 and now 3 relate to lending of money from the Medicis.
The Lombards in England were moneylenders in Europe. They also used the 3 balls as a sign for pawn broking. So when this symbol is seen it relates to pawning and dates into the middle ages.
The butcher The original of the Butcher’s signs and symbols are more obvious if the reasons for butchers are known. In the middle ages, small animals were killed and eaten on the same day. There was no refrigeration and spoiled meat was a problem. Larger animals (generally pigs and cows) obviously can not be consumed in a day by a family, so the butcher would take the animal and section it for multiple families, or the whole town. So selling a large animal was a way to convert it into fresh meat over a longer period of time.
Historic Butcher sign
Over time the butcher’s skills included meat preservation (salting, smoking, refrigeration) and preparation (mixing, grinding, sausage making, and a range of grading different cuts of meat)
Butcher’s signs generally are of 3 types, knives, pigs and cows.
The Seamstress or Tailor There are 3 symbols directly related to signs used for sewing, the needle, the thimble, the scissors and the Sewing machine. In addition a picture of a dress or a suit is often used.
The practice of cutting, joining and shaping skins dates back to prehistoric times (25,000 years or more). Needles made from bone, shell,
Tailor and alteration business sign
and wood are found in excavation of ancient sites. Certainly cloths started as a protection from the elements and others.
The word “Tailor” is recorded in England in 1296 and probably dates back much further. By the 1700 style was the main reason to shape and make clothes. Some of the most ridiculous clothing dates from this period.
So it is not surprising a sewing machine communicates the actives of the business better than words. While the symbols change over time a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors are also descriptive of the business without words.
The Clock Shop Clocks were the high tech devices of old. In Roman times the most accurate time piece was a water clock, where water would drip out and the levels drop. These were complex and few existed.
Mechanical clocks appeared in the 1350s in ideally. Mechanical clocks metered the drop on weights and later the release on energy from springs. Mechanical clocks were a major advance, and still the high tech product of the middle ages.
Sign of a cloth maker
The first clocks were crude devices make with iron (blacksmith) techniques and in the mid-1500 the jewelers started making clocks from copper, brass and silver. In 1574 the first “pocket watch” appeared. In the 1680 the minute hand was developed and the modern clock face appeared as we know it today. By the early 1700s there was an explosion of clock ownership (and the need for repair), Wristwatches appeared in 1812 and spread into wide use by the end of the first World War.
Signs for the clock maker was the face of a clock. Having a working clock outside the shop also served a community as the time standard. This duty – providing a standard fell to churches with bells and public squares – both displayed time. The clock tower in the public square served as the official time for the community.
The Tobacco Shop
The tradition of shaping wood is very old. On ships one of the required skills was carpenter and the carpenter maintained the ship. When other duties were not pressing the carpenter would carve wood. The bow of the ship has a figurehead. In the beginning these were the likeness of the ship owners, but also inspired the ship through rough water and announced its arrival. The figureheads became gods, mermaids, and heroic figures. So the skill set existed and the idea was transferred
The native Indians introduced Tobacco to the Europeans arriving in the Americas. I classic association of Tobacco is the Indian for this reason. It is distinctive and if one can not buy directly from the Indian how about a wooden Indian standing in front of the store. The wooden Indian conveyed quality and a higher class cigar friendly smoking rooms. It became a fashion statement. From the 1850s into the early 1900s these wooden Indians were popular and profitable symbols of Tobacco. These were painted in bright colors and designs.
The Pharmacy Signs
There are several and one of the oldest is the snake and staff. This is used today and dates back to the Greeks. Mans relation with snakes and especially venomous snakes is deep and troubled. This is the serpent of Epidaurus on the staff of Aesculapius.
Drug Store Sign
Sign for a Pharmacy
The next development is 2 snakes and the wings of Mercury. This is more of a medical symbol than a pharmaceutical symbol.
This is too complex for many early signs and the green cross is a common substitute. The cross is Christian, where most of the training occurred and by the early 1800s in England the red cross was substituted with a green cross for the pharmacist.
As the pharmacist, the surgeon and the doctor diverged, the Pharmacist became much more associated with mixing chemicals (Animal, mineral and vegetable).
The mortar and pestle is the current identification for the pharmacy shop sign. The mortar and pestle are tools of traditional pharmacy.
The Cobbler and Shoemaker Shoemaking is very old and involved leatherwork. The Cobbler may be a shoe maker, but is really a shoe repairer. Cobbler is from the cobble stones and is a known mender (to cobble something together). In both cases a picture of a boot or shoe is the normal preliterate sign for these shops.
Shoemakers made sandals first – probably starting with the Roman, then shoes and boots. The materials were wood, leather and woven canvas. Now plastic and rubber are common.
The Marines emblem and seal
“The eagle with spread wings represents our proud nation. The globe points to worldwide presence. The anchor stands for naval tradition. Together, they represent a dedication to service in the air, on land and at sea.”
US Marine Corp emblem and sealUS Marine Corp emblem and seal
This emblem is also know as the EGA (Eagle, Globe and Anchor) and dates to the beginning of the USA. The Continental Marines original marine emblem was the same anchor with the rope in 1775. It changed in 1798, 1821, and 1824. In 1834, In 1859, in 1868, and finally to this form in 1958
Conclusion: These are shapes and images that convey meaning so fast – they are more meaningful than words. These are just examples, there are many more for theaters, stock brokers, printers, and many other businesses and trades. They are really a stylized product picture, but they are universal. Because they convey meaning so fast, they can have a lot more impact than words. The history creates interesting stories to support that interest. Often from Europe and the some from ancient times, they are the ultimate branding. If you have a business in North County San Diego, that is Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad or San Marcos and have a business that could use these shapes, you should consider using these – they lend you a familiarity that takes a lot of time to reproduce.
