Peace sign turns 50

[OneAngryDemocrat]

Source: Times Colonist

The most famous postwar logo without commercial purpose -- or, at least, intended commercial purpose -- the peace symbol, turns 50 tomorrow.

Adopted with stunning speed by dozens of counterculture movements in the 1960s, its message expanded and now most people see it as a generic symbol of peace, adaptable to almost any pacifist cause.

"The peace symbol continues to exert almost hypnotic appeal," writes Ken Kolsbun in Peace: The Biography of a Symbol, which will be released by National Geographic's publishing arm in April.

"It has become the rallying cry for almost any group working for social change."


Read more: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=6981daa8-62a2-40d0-a8b4-cf0e1a47eb65

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Please visit my anti-war website, www.shockedandawful.com

[conscious evolution]

1. Happy Birthday

[onehandle]

2. Damn commie hippies! nt

[billyoc]

4. Sailors, you mean. I waved those flags myself in the Navy.

:hi:

[5X]

8. Yes? n/t

[MADem]

3. AAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAA AAAAAGH!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!!

I can't believe it's that old!!!

Of course, nowadays, since we don't see it as often as back in the ancient era, there are a few kids who confuse it with the symbol for the MERCEDES automobile...which, I suppose, to those who like pricy "stuff," exerts an hypnotic appeal of its own... :eyes:

A hasty correction:

[MuseRider]

5. God I feel so old!

I have one on the front of my truck to this day.

I spent many a day painting one on my face or on a sign or just anywhere.

Peace signs and flowers, not a misspent youth at all. Peace!

[samplegirl]

6. It's always in Fashion

[FalconsRule]

7. And will never go out of style! N/T

[kristopher]

9. It is British Navy Semaphor for the letters /N/ and /D/

That stands for...

You guessed it! Nuclear Disarmament

Yo dude. Peace.

[NinetySix]

10. And was designed by the eminent British philosopher Bertrand Russel.

Just chiming in because I hadn't yet seen his name in this thread -- credit where credit's due.

[bean fidhleir]

12. Gerald Holtom, I think you'll find

And, while it's possible that he came up with it independently, it dates back to the middle ages where it was the symbol for a dead man. You can find it and many similar medieval symbols in Rudolf Koch's Book of Signs, translated into English in 1930.

[NinetySix]

18. You learn something new every day...

...and today we both did. Isn't it cool to find out you're BOTH right?

http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/peace.html

<snip>

the anti-nuclear emblem or the peace sign is one of the
most widely known symbols in the world.
it was invented on the request of lord bertrand russel,
head of the british ‘campaign for nuclear disarmament’
or CDN and sponsor of mass marches and sit-downs
in london. the graphic symbol was designed by
gerald holtom, a member of the CND movement,
as the badge of the ’direct action committee against
nuclear war’, for the first demonstration against
aldermaston (a british research center for the development
of nuclear weapons) in 1958.

Funny thing is, when I wrote my post, I first used the word 'invented,' then went back and changed it to 'designed' before I posted it.

[dipsydoodle]

11. That's right

designed by the Uk's CND - Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament back in the 1950's. There was some mystique I never quite understood between white symbol on black background compared with black symbol on white background.

[MediaBabe]

15. I didn't know that.

Learn something every day. :) Thank you for posting.

[kirby]

13. I thought the Peace sign retired some time ago? n/t

[Fly by night]

14. I wonder where AARP will send its membership form?

If anyone can find the address, AARP can.

[Pastiche423]

16. The peace symbol turns 50 on Senator Kennedy's 76th B'Day!

Too cool.

:hippie:

[Kip Humphrey]

17. Does anyone remember "Ban The Bomb"?

[BrotherBuzz]

21. This and all its variations were common in the late sixties and early seventies

On edit: well that worked out well. you can still click the incon to view the photos. :shrug:

[puerco-bellies]

19. The peace sign may have been adapted from an Apache symbol.

It is a stylized representation of a mule deer hoof print.

[CTC411dotcom]

20. It's starting to look a little used up.

How old's the Mercedes logo?

[superconnected]

22. I wonder what happend to that lady who's housing organization fined her

daily for having a peace sign up. That was earlier this year.