Pelikan trademark in special consideration of the nestlings
Posted: February 2nd, 2010, 2:59 pm
Thema: PELIKAN Schutzmarke mit bes. Berücksichtigung der Nestjungen
Startbeitrag
Autor: Münsterländer
Thoughts on the Pelikan trademark in special consideration of the nestlings
Ever since its first publication and registration as a trademark (maybe even the first registration) in what was then the German Empire in the year 1878, the trademark of Pelikan, with its nest full of pelican fledglings, has been subject to various revisions over the last decades.
The accompanying graphic is from a brochure published by the Pelikan Corporation in 1963, which they had brought out in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Pelikan.
In my opinion, what makes this picture so special is that it shows the family emblem of the Wagner's. Günther Wagner, the owner of the company at that point of time, used it as a template for designing the trademark. Not even in the broad expanse of the internet was I able to find this version.
Note the number of nestlings: Three!!
Interesting enough, the unknown lithographer whom had created the draft of the trademark from the picture of the coat of arms, raised the number of nestlings to four. This surely was no coincidence! I am convinced that the company owner of that time had direct and immediate influence on this certainly not insignificant detail.
But what was the meaning of this increase of the fledglings? Unfortunately, there is no one left to ask; written records in the archives of the Pelikan Corporation might provide information (should they even exist). But for now: No access. Therefore, here an attempt of approaching: It could be imaginable that the nestlings symbolize four major product lines, like e. g. (I'm fantasizing now) artist's colors, ink and Indian ink, papers and miscellaneous; or maybe it even symbolizes four partners inside the family Wagner, whom had been "nourished" by the Pelikan Corporation; or…
The representation on the family emblem of the fledglings being "nourished" by the blood of the mother animal coming from an open wound on her chest she had caused herself can be seen very clearly in the trademark's first edition in 1878. In the following version of 1910 it is rather questionable, but possible. In the later versions from 1922 on, it is not used anymore at all. I suppose it didn't fit into the taste of the 20th century, the upcoming time of poverty, mass unemployment and social hardship of many levels of the population, the middle class, as well. This sowed the seeds fort he Nazi takeover. Selflessness was "out", this of course also to be noticed in a trademark of a, to that time, large company in the German Reich, where largescale layoffs might have been imminent (I'm fantasizing again).
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Pelikan (extract):
"The basis for the myth (the feeding with blood; added on my behalf) might be provided by the fact that the fledglings of pelican get their food down from the throat pouch of their parents. This gives the impression that they are eating from the breast of their parents. Moreover, during breeding season, the pouch of the Dalmatian pelican turns red, which reminds of a bloody wound."
Anyhow, back to the fledglings. Along with the modernization of the trademark in 1938, two nestling disappear completely. Only two remain. Why this?? Again, I don't believe in coincidences. A detail such as this one simply is too important for that. I can imagine that the graphic designer O.H.W. Hadank presented this absolutely modernistic, almost revolutionary draft to the company management for reasons of simplification / getting back to the basics. The last revision that my source calls "today" is of 1963 (I suppose from 1962/63 in celebration of the 125th anniversary) and is much alike the one of 2009. From 1963 on, the colors were changed: instead of the light background, it was dark (blue), the dark bird turned light and the ring surrounding the bird was added to the background.
I hope this little essay on the trademark Pelikan hasn't become too long for you. I hope it finds favorable reception amongst the forum community. The research was a lot of fun.
Greetings
Startbeitrag
Autor: Münsterländer
Thoughts on the Pelikan trademark in special consideration of the nestlings
Ever since its first publication and registration as a trademark (maybe even the first registration) in what was then the German Empire in the year 1878, the trademark of Pelikan, with its nest full of pelican fledglings, has been subject to various revisions over the last decades.
The accompanying graphic is from a brochure published by the Pelikan Corporation in 1963, which they had brought out in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Pelikan.
In my opinion, what makes this picture so special is that it shows the family emblem of the Wagner's. Günther Wagner, the owner of the company at that point of time, used it as a template for designing the trademark. Not even in the broad expanse of the internet was I able to find this version.
Note the number of nestlings: Three!!
Interesting enough, the unknown lithographer whom had created the draft of the trademark from the picture of the coat of arms, raised the number of nestlings to four. This surely was no coincidence! I am convinced that the company owner of that time had direct and immediate influence on this certainly not insignificant detail.
But what was the meaning of this increase of the fledglings? Unfortunately, there is no one left to ask; written records in the archives of the Pelikan Corporation might provide information (should they even exist). But for now: No access. Therefore, here an attempt of approaching: It could be imaginable that the nestlings symbolize four major product lines, like e. g. (I'm fantasizing now) artist's colors, ink and Indian ink, papers and miscellaneous; or maybe it even symbolizes four partners inside the family Wagner, whom had been "nourished" by the Pelikan Corporation; or…
The representation on the family emblem of the fledglings being "nourished" by the blood of the mother animal coming from an open wound on her chest she had caused herself can be seen very clearly in the trademark's first edition in 1878. In the following version of 1910 it is rather questionable, but possible. In the later versions from 1922 on, it is not used anymore at all. I suppose it didn't fit into the taste of the 20th century, the upcoming time of poverty, mass unemployment and social hardship of many levels of the population, the middle class, as well. This sowed the seeds fort he Nazi takeover. Selflessness was "out", this of course also to be noticed in a trademark of a, to that time, large company in the German Reich, where largescale layoffs might have been imminent (I'm fantasizing again).
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Pelikan (extract):
"The basis for the myth (the feeding with blood; added on my behalf) might be provided by the fact that the fledglings of pelican get their food down from the throat pouch of their parents. This gives the impression that they are eating from the breast of their parents. Moreover, during breeding season, the pouch of the Dalmatian pelican turns red, which reminds of a bloody wound."
Anyhow, back to the fledglings. Along with the modernization of the trademark in 1938, two nestling disappear completely. Only two remain. Why this?? Again, I don't believe in coincidences. A detail such as this one simply is too important for that. I can imagine that the graphic designer O.H.W. Hadank presented this absolutely modernistic, almost revolutionary draft to the company management for reasons of simplification / getting back to the basics. The last revision that my source calls "today" is of 1963 (I suppose from 1962/63 in celebration of the 125th anniversary) and is much alike the one of 2009. From 1963 on, the colors were changed: instead of the light background, it was dark (blue), the dark bird turned light and the ring surrounding the bird was added to the background.
I hope this little essay on the trademark Pelikan hasn't become too long for you. I hope it finds favorable reception amongst the forum community. The research was a lot of fun.
Greetings