Designs for trademarks for Sundour Fabrics
Drawing
ca. 1911 (made)
ca. 1911 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Scottish textile company Alexander Morton & Co. began to market its new Sundour range of colourfast fabrics in about 1911. These drawings by Ronald Simpson, one of the company’s textile designers, show initial ideas for trademarks. All the designs refer to the fabrics’ colourfast properties. The serpent is a symbol of eternity, the lions symbolise steadfastness and the fir tree is evergreen. The last two designs suggest that even the brightest sun will not fade this special fabric. The process of designing these straightforward graphics seems pleasantly naive in comparison to the months taken by companies today to settle upon an appropriate brand identity.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Designs for trademarks for Sundour Fabrics (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Indian ink, pencil and watercolour on board |
| Brief description | Designs for trademarks for Sundour fabrics by Ronald Simpson, about 1911 |
| Physical description | Five drawings in pencil and Indian ink on board. At top left is a serpent. At top right is a piece of cloth, with a sunburst emblem, held in the mouths of two lions. At bottom left is a fir tree motif. At bottom centre is a sun motif within a shield, in yellow watercolour. At bottom right is a theatre curtain, partially concealing the sun's rays. All five emblems incorporate the wording 'Sundour Unfadable Fabrics.' The board is printed on the back 'Ordinary Pasteboard OW. Paper, London'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by J. W. F. Morton Esq. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | The Scottish textile company Alexander Morton & Co. began to market its new Sundour range of colourfast fabrics in about 1911. These drawings by Ronald Simpson, one of the company’s textile designers, show initial ideas for trademarks. All the designs refer to the fabrics’ colourfast properties. The serpent is a symbol of eternity, the lions symbolise steadfastness and the fir tree is evergreen. The last two designs suggest that even the brightest sun will not fade this special fabric. The process of designing these straightforward graphics seems pleasantly naive in comparison to the months taken by companies today to settle upon an appropriate brand identity. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1335-1976 |
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| Record created | December 22, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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