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Essentials in
History
The Story of the Pin - and the old Society logo
Before the "Temporary Type Treatment" came the the familiar lyre-and-pole -- the SECOND Logo. Where did that come from? The truth unburied.. plus the FIRST logo revealed.
Updated: 11/23/2004 3:37:00 PM
By Bob Hockenbrough
originally published in The Harmonizer, 1988
Our distinctive Society emblem that we so proudly wear in our lapels, display in our meeting halls and on our concert stage, emblazon on our stationery, song arrangements, neck ties, tee shirts, jewelry and novelties just didn’t happen. It was the result of the combined talents of three ardent members of the Society – the late Dick Sturges and Charles Cimerro of our Atlanta Chapter and Joe Wolff of our Detroit Chapter.
It was the result of an evolution of ideas, but it was Sturges (the sentimental gentleman from Georgia), working with the authority of the then (National) Board, who gave it its final brilliant character.
The design was first presented to Society members as the illustration for the cover of the March 1944 HARMONIZER. Appearing a full six inches in diameter, printed in rich gold, red and blue on white, it presented a very striking effect. The caption simply stated, “This is the design of our new lapel emblem.”
Sturges then took the cover design, reduced it in size creating the pattern for the official SPEBSQSA lapel emblem. The original versions were sterling silver, gold plated and sold for all of $1.25. It was then, and still is, one of the handsomest lapel pins in existence.
Sturges, in describing the development of the design, said, “In the Spring of 1942, Charles Cimerro, Atlanta Chapter member, suggested to me a design for a Society emblem, based on a barber pole, with a lyre in the background, and the Society’s initials in a ribbon across both. In the Fall of 1943, Joe Wolff, National Board Member and past president of the Detroit Chapter, submitted a design showing a barber pole, superimposed on a lyre, all contained in a circle.
“Then I, Dick Sturges, who never had an original idea in my life, in my best kleptomaniac manner, stole both ideas, combined them, and hornswoggled the National Board into accepting my design as a new lapel emblem. Brother members I hope you like it. If you don’t, just send a written complaint to Mr. Anthony’s ‘Court of Human Relations.’ I assure you in advance, you’ll get no place fast – because I have the National Board and Emblem Committee (Wolff, Adams and myself) solidly on my side.”
And that is how it all came about.
It should be noted that until this point, another logo had been in common use for membership cards, certificates and so on. It is reproduced here. Origins of that are for another inquiry.
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