# Brooks Logo Origins?



## JMC (Aug 22, 2008)

Just looking at the Brooks Brothers website and it struck me. I have no earthly idea where that logo came from. I can only assume that wool comes into play somehow. Can anyone offer some enlightenment?


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## HL Poling and Sons (Mar 24, 2006)

Don't they teach Classics in the schools anymore?

It's from the myth of Jason and the Argonauts.

This is a good place to start: https://www.mythweb.com/heroes/jason/index.html


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

From Brooks Brothers on Wikipedia:

"The Golden Fleece symbol was adopted as the company's trademark in 1870. A sheep suspended in a ribbon had long been a symbol of British woolen merchants. Dating from the 15th century, it had been the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. In ancient Greek mythology, a magical flying ram, or Golden Fleece, was sought by Jason and the Argonauts."

This is pretty funny, and to me not a little humiliating, because I wear tons of Brooks Brothers and my job is teaching ancient Greek literature, and the two never converged in my mind. The main source of our information on the myth of the Argonauts is a third-century BCE poem called the _Argonautica_ by Apollonius of Rhodes. I've lectured publically on this poem and published papers about it; in fact, two days ago I submitted a book proposal on this very poem!

So even though they do continue to teach mythology in schools, it isn't immediately obvious, even to a "professional" like me, that the logo is from the Argonaut myth. This is because the animal in the logo is whole, not a skinned fleece.


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## HL Poling and Sons (Mar 24, 2006)

You're right, Pentheos, because of the different forms of Brooks' Golden Fleece and Jason's, it's not as obvious a connection as my rather high-handed reply implies.

I had a classics teacher in boarding school who, while lecturing on the Jason story, said, "I suspect many of the gentlemen have a closer connection to this story than they realize. As close as their own closets."

HL


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## Jackdaws (May 28, 2008)

*Great trademark.*

One of my favorite ties is from Brooks Brothers--yellow gold with little blue golden fleeces suspended throughout. It's a great conversation piece.


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## fenway (May 2, 2006)

There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near

Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might be Giants


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## stainless (Aug 27, 2007)

FLOOD!:aportnoy:


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## yossarian (Apr 17, 2007)

Jackdaws said:


> One of my favorite ties is from Brooks Brothers--yellow gold with little blue golden fleeces suspended throughout. It's a great conversation piece.


I've got that tie in red with yellow golden fleeces. I haven't worn it in at least 10 years. Maybe it's time to get it back into the rotation.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

I have it in black with blue fleeces. I just saw in the latest catalog the tie in a dark green with blue fleeces. WANT.


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## Cpt.Beaky (Jun 22, 2008)

Pentheos said:


> From Brooks Brothers on Wikipedia:
> 
> "The Golden Fleece symbol was adopted as the company's trademark in 1870. A sheep suspended in a ribbon had long been a symbol of British woolen merchants. Dating from the 15th century, it had been the emblem of the Knights of the Golden Fleece, founded by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. In ancient Greek mythology, a magical flying ram, or Golden Fleece, was sought by Jason and the Argonauts."
> 
> ...


When you see the neck chain of the Knights of the Golden Fleece it is a bit easier to tell there isn't anything left inside the fleece:


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Thank you for the picture of the necklace. Yes, there's no mistaking that the fleece suspended from it is empty. The fleece on the BB logo looks too stuffed, which is as I said why I was always thrown off the trail.


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