My research project into the Merchants’ Marks of Norwich is progressing well with logos being posted regularly on Instagram. And now a visit to the Norfolk Record Office to view the original notes and sketches by the antiquarian John Kirkpatrick (1687–1728).
The ribbon-bound folder seen above, not only featured Kirkpatrick’s research but accurate drawings of each logo device that would later be used as print artwork for the book, ’Notices of the Merchants’ Marks in the City of Norwich’ by William C Ewing, and published in 1850.
It was breathtaking to handle and study these papers which record hundreds of logo devices in use during the 14th–16th centuries.
These research discoveries are building toward a blog post for Visit Norwich to introduce the story of merchants’ marks in Norwich. It will reveal an early era of logo devices which were crucial to successful trade and were recognisable by a population that could not read or write. And the importance of branding also connects with independent traders working in Norwich today.