Peace Sign Turns 50

by jordan | March 20, 2008 at 05:36 am

2487 views | 7 Recommendations | 26 comments

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the peace sign.
For ten points, who invented the peace sign?
Uh... hippies?
Bzzzt! Thankyouforplaying! The correct answer is Gerald Holtom, a graphic designer who figured that the British anti-nuke movement would gain more traction if it had a logo, and the peace sign was born. Specifically, it was born from the semafore signals for "N" and "D" (Nuclear Disarmament). And Holtom was 100% correct: his symbol has been relevant ever since.

It had its first public outing 50 years ago on a chilly Good Friday as thousands of British anti-nuclear campaigners set off from London's Trafalgar Square on a 50-mile march to the weapons factory at Aldermaston.

The demonstration had been organised by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) joined in.

This is not connected with the V-sign, formed with one's index and middle finger. That one was popularised during the 1960s, brought into the public eye by Winston Churchill. He was quickly told, though, to keep the palm facing forwards, as, to many in Britain and the former colonies, the V with palm inward is an insulting gesture, but that's another article for another day. Let's just focus on the peace sign!

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Edmund Jenks

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:10 on March 20th, 2008

jordan, good stuff.

Peace Out!

Some, mistakenly think the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star logo is the peace symbol.

jordan

at 06:40 on March 20th, 2008

I once saw someone with a homemade peace-sign t-shirt that depicted the Benz logo above the word PEACE... someone told the guy to add another bar, so he whipped out a black pen and drew it in.

jennimi

at 06:30 on March 20th, 2008

Though the piece is in my personal art collection, my friend Chandra Choe drew it for me in 1992 to cheer me up (it worked) and she should receive credit for her iconic stylishness.

jordan

at 06:42 on March 20th, 2008

Mission: Accomplished, Chandra, wherever you are... (Thanks for sharing this, jennimi)

bearloe

at 06:51 on March 20th, 2008

This is the Peace Mobile. A project of CodePink Austin. Check out more photos at www.codepinkaustin.com

bearloe has contributed a photo to this story.

crystalchroma

at 07:05 on March 20th, 2008

Peace out, baby

Crystal Chroma has contributed a photo to this story.

caitmary

at 07:36 on March 20th, 2008

Love, love, everyday

caitmary has contributed a photo to this story.

dmnh

at 08:08 on March 20th, 2008

My sister told me the peace sign was upside down. It isn't anymore. I took it off the ATC and reglued it in its proper postition.
We all need a peace ticket. This one's mine.

dmnh has contributed a photo to this story.

run13one

at 08:24 on March 20th, 2008

Seen on the UPenn Campus on Locust Walk steps from Robert Indiana's famous LOVE sculpture.
According to philart.net and http://www.facilities.upenn.edu/artHistory/view_art.php3?id=35 it was created by Robert Engman in 1967.

run13one has contributed a photo to this story.

giraffes123@Hotmail.com

at 08:36 on March 20th, 2008

mrtiedye65

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:06 on March 20th, 2008

jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. You are welcome for the use of my photo, I just added a few more photo of my Peace Sign creations to my Flickr account. It is one of my more popular designs and I have made and sold them in all sizes and colors. Feel free to use more if you wish.

Peace,

Carl

crazbabe21

at 10:00 on March 20th, 2008

Walking down the street I saw this chalked peace sign in San Francisco. It was just a random Sunday, no holidays. Someone just wanted to have a peace sign on the sidewalk. So I took this picture as a testament to how cool SF can be

crazbabe21 has contributed a photo to this story.

Jessuhcuh

at 10:48 on March 20th, 2008

the peace symbol means a lot in general, it's an encouraging sign when one finds this symbol is various locations.. it reminds me that there is still hope for a better future.

Jessuhcuh has contributed a photo to this story.

shabsoasis

at 11:12 on March 20th, 2008

Venice drum circle. My sister Jay channels her inner peace.

shabsoasis has contributed a photo to this story.

pattisunshine

at 11:18 on March 20th, 2008

I snapped this photo at Bubblefest a couple years ago - a fun music and arts festival put on by my friends Jamie and Missy Collins. Music, drums, bubbles, tie-dye, beads and barefoot, happy people were all there!

pattisunshine has contributed a photo to this story.

heat

at 11:18 on March 20th, 2008

Peace is of course a path of worth

China needs to think about what they are achieving in Tibet

Violence begets more violence

War solves nothing

Money wasted on War is food out of the mouths of poverty ridden humanity

Work for Peace

heat

at 11:23 on March 20th, 2008

Humanity Awaken

it is time for humans to work to change the direction of the world

too many people are dying and suffering

Compassion lives in your heart

may it manifest in your life

Universal Responsiblity is YOUR business

heat

at 11:25 on March 20th, 2008

Humanity Awaken

it is time for humans to work to change the direction of the world

too many people are dying and suffering

Compassion lives in your heart

may it manifest in your life

Universal Responsiblity is YOUR business

Mooncupart

at 12:53 on March 20th, 2008

Peace is a value so easy to loose. Most time human blood flows peacefully, but unfortunate not everywhere.

Mooncupart has contributed a photo to this story.

lens man

at 13:19 on March 20th, 2008

This is me 40 years later dressed for halloween - a child of the 60's. Not my real hair!

lens man has contributed a photo to this story.

ukfuzzy29

at 14:35 on March 20th, 2008

Road Diversions or Chicken Feet or Peace, all acceptable answers!!

ukfuzzy29 has contributed a photo to this story.

Handmade by Holly

at 16:24 on March 20th, 2008

I have always been inspired by this powerful symbol, so I created a series of peace-themed necklaces for myself and others to help make a statement.

Handmade by Holly has contributed a photo to this story.

ROSEINLOVE

at 06:47 on March 21st, 2008

My mother at Niagra Falls in the late 70's in one of the pics. I would have loved to been there:)

ROSEINLOVE has contributed a photo to this story.

iamfrans

at 08:32 on March 21st, 2008

Peace is like everything else in this world. We all have it within us, but it's still a choice we have to make. When we let that thing dominate everything within us, only then we can find solitude. To accept that like everyone else, I am unique. And hoping that in spite of it, we all have one thing in common, we have one life to live. To waste that is a shame.

iamfrans has contributed a photo to this story.