Monogram for the publisher George Bell
Gleeson White
Early 1890s; unsigned.
Photomechanical reproduction of pen and ink drawing
This is a simplified version of a design that appears in the family archive. Publishers’ monograms were important representations of the organization’s identity and values, and White cleverly plays on Bell’s name and credo. A bell is depicted, along with three pieces of symbolic imagery: the anchor suggests stability; the dolphin, taken from Renaissance art, symbolizes plenty and freedom; and the flowering tree, with vibrant branches and roots, vitality. This is a concise encapsulation of one of the most dynamic publishers of the end of the century.
