The Iconic Bar & Shield Logo
As a graphic designer, I’ve created dozens of branding logos over the years. It’s always a challenge because you want your piece to be symbolic, yet eye-catching, yet simple... all at the same time. It’s no easy task!
A couple I’ve recently created for Boswell’s Harley-Davidson include the 70th Anniversary logo from 2020 and more recently the Boswell’s Street Hooligan logo that you might have seen in our shops. It’s an honor to be trusted with the branding of such an iconic business as Boswell’s Harley-Davidson and I take it very seriously.
Most designers do... but I wonder if the creator of the Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield logo had any idea they were creating a logo that would still be used over 120 years later? Talk about iconic... it’s one of the most recognizable logos in the world. It’s a masterpiece! People who have no interest in motorcycles at all can glance at the H-D Bar & Shield and instantly know exactly what company it represents and what it stands for. And for those of us who do live in the motorcycle world, it’s hallowed, provokes emotion, and provides representation of a lifestyle!
Interestingly enough, the Bar & Shield has not always been around in the life of the Motorco. While the company was launched in 1903 by William S. Harley, Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson, the Bar & Shield logo didn’t make an appearance until 1910. Legend has it that the “new” logo first appeared on a tool box at the original shop, but how or by whom it was initially created is still somewhat of a mystery.
Some believe the logo was probably created by the Davidson brothers aunt Janet who assisted with pinstriping and composing the Harley-Davidson name on the original bicycles. Makes sense... right? And by the way... Historians also tend to believe that Janet Davidson was likely the first woman to ever ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Apparently Aunt Janet had it goin’ on!
A patent was issued for the Bar & Shield logo in 1911 and over the years it has taken on many variations, but the nod to the original design has remained in tact to this day. So to Aunt Janet (or whomever) we say thank you for creating a logo that hits all the key design aspects (symbolic, eye catching, simplistic, iconic) but much more than that... resonates deep within our souls at just one glance!
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