I believe it was a couple of years ago that we had a discussion on the dog
vs. lion portrayal in the Sunbeam motif. Today I received a response to my
post from way back then that shines some new light on the matter:
<<
There is no argument! You are close but no banana!
The insignia used on the Talbot cars is actually over 500 years old and is
still the heraldic crest of the Earls Of Shrewsbury who are the senior
members of the Talbot family. Their title (and the crest) comes from one of
England's greatest soldiers John Talbot the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury who
fought against Joan of Arc (amongst others).
The animal on top of the Earl's cap (i.e. worn under his helmet) is
heraldically described as "a lion statant with tail extended". The Talbot
hounds were the traditional supporters (i.e. either side of the coat of
arms)and were also on the badge worn by his soldiers/retainers.
The later Earl was involved in the original Talbot company and it took his
family name (I have a Spy print of him driving an early model Talbot with
the title "Cabs").
If further Talbot information is required please see the Talbot Research
Organisation web-site:-
http://www.kiamara.demon.co.uk/trolocat.html
All the best:
Richard D. B. Talbot C.D.
Lt-Col (Ret'd)
Phil asks about the insignia - volumes have been written about what it
really is and the argument continues. The following summarizes what I've
been able to deduce over the years.
There has been a lot of debate about what we lovingly call the "Talbot"
logo. Most of the discussion has been about the animal depicted in the
design. Is it a lion or a dog?
My copy of the Georges Roesch biography is presently out on loan, but as I
recall, the design was adapted from the crest of the Earl of Shrewsbury who
was the money behind the Talbot automobile in its British production. The
original family crest depicted a Talbot hound, which was a sporting breed
used by nobility - and which gave the name to the car. When the Rootes
Brothers joined Talbot and Sunbeam, they maintained the logo from the
Talbot. The animal gradually evolved from looking like a sleek hound to the
lionlike creature most of us are familiar with (you know how artists have to
keep tampering).
The Talbot hound was dropped from the British Kennel Club breed recognition
in the early 1900s when none had been registered for many years, and are now
thought to be extinct as an identifiable breed.
"Ole"
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