How the chick got into the nest and when, how many?
The traditional Pelikan company celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2013. To mark the occasion, a book was published tracing the development of the Pelikan brand.
THE LAVISHLY DESIGNED ILLUSTRATED BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN BOOKSHOPS AND FROM THE FOLLOWING ONLINE STORES:
- Leuenhagen-Paris.de (German edition)
- Leuenhagen-Paris.de (English edition)
- Amazon.de (German edition)
- Amazon.de (English edition)
- Weltbild (German and English edition)
In the run-up to Pelikan's 175th anniversary, previously undiscovered letters from the company's founder Günther Wagner to his successor Fritz Beindorff were found in the archives of the well-known traditional company from Hanover. According to these, the history of the Pelikan brand must now be partially rewritten.
For example, the original coat of arms of the Wagner family was found, which was probably already used as a sign for children's colors (honey colors) before 1873. It was company founder Günther Wagner himself who, based on his family coat of arms, designed the graphic of the PELIKAN figurative mark for the “Little Honey Colors”. Günther Wagner drew the Pelikan logo, with three chicks in a nest. Honey colors were common watercolors mixed with honey at that time. According to the price list of 1873, small round honey colors were offered in boxes of 12, 18, or 24 colors; with the color pots glued to the metal sheet.
In designing the mark, Günther Wagner abandoned the oval of the shield that formed the background of the pelican depiction on his family coat of arms. After the birth of the fourth child in the Wagner household, another chick was added to the nest of the heraldic bird – as depicted in the oldest Pelikan trademark known to date, which was registered on November 27, 1878.
A Unique Collection of Historical Art nouveau and non-fiction posters, become references that extend far beyond the company's history in terms of their cultural significance.
Later on, well-known artists such as Kurt Schwitters, El Lissitzky, and Wilhelm Wagenfeld were also involved with and shaped the Pelikan brand.
The Pelikan brand tells an entire story compressed into a single character. It is about the affection of the parent animal for its chick, which is known to fly one day. In this way, the meaning of the Pelikan brand is revealed from its beginning to the present day as a symbol of a successful traditional German company with global significance.
A reading sample with selected pages of the book can be downloaded as PDF here.
Title: PELIKAN – THE BRAND
Subtitle: How the chick came into the nest and when, how many.
Author: Dr. Detmar Schäfer
Format: 240 × 285 mm
Execution: Hardcover, thread stitching, 4/4 colored
Extent: 168 pages
ISBN: 978-3-923976-90-4
Price: €29,99
Date of publication: April 28, 2013
Publisher: Pelikan Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
Publisher and distributor: Leuenhagen & Paris, Lister Meile 39, 30161 Hannover, Germany.
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