I know what it supposed to represent, similar to the dove and olive branch right? and.... if the middle part of the symbol is supposed to represent a "M" I think I know that too. Am I hot or cold Nancy?

Annette

Freezing cold, Annette. So much symbolism has been attached to this little design the message she was signalling has almost been lost. Would it help if I told you that it was designed in Britain, for a specific movement?

I hope TM had a great trip to Florida. November is such a great month to visit there. I wonder if he flew Delta, one of my favourite airlines.

Clues above, but not here: I got curious about this symbol after doing a crossword puzzle this week. Some of the setters make be crazy, not only because of their vague clues, but because of the outright inaccuracies. This particular puzzle had a 'hippie' theme, and the clue was 'peace symbol inspired by Picasso', and I thought, Whoa, trivia!! So I did a little research, and this is one of those things that is mired in half-truths and false legends. The real story is far more interesting. Now Picasso did dabble in dove and olive branch renderings. Another artist used a painting of French peasants being beaten back, with one on the ground, arms outstretched - also not the inspiration. Call these anti-clues!!

Nancy.

Why, Nancy, I would be ashamed of myself, having spent high school and college as a proud protester, if I did not know this. Fun for me!

Cynthia

Ahhh, good for you Cyn. All those peaceful protests have stood you well, then??

Nancy.

I remember enough about this to know that signalling is a signal to us.

TM

Nancy, wasn't your dad in the Navy?

Sadly, we are still fighting for this and we seem to be losing. I really want to move to NZ!

Cynthia

The middle part of the design makes me think of a missile, hot or cold?

Annette

My Dad was in the Royal Canadian Engineers, actually. And I was not a Brownie!! Annette, while it does not REPRESENT a missile, you are getting warm!! Are you receiving my message, TM??

Nancy.

How about an "N" and a "D", this is where I was going.

Annette

Smiling and waving flags at you Annette!

Very good you two!! Very impressed, as I always am. My messages are getting through!!

Nancy.

It sounds like I am on the right track thinking semaphore positions. Has this one come up before in our trivia questions? I remember it from somewhere in the more or less distant past.

TM

Probably from your hippie days, TM. ;)

Hasn't come up before with me, but hey, I'm not the first here!! lol. Now, just to be sure, what does ND stand for??

Nancy.

How about Nuclear Disarmament.

Annette

Yep.

I didn't actually know it was nuclear disarmament, but when I read it, I recognized it. As we all recognize, recognition is a lower form of remembering than unaided recall - maybe half a star's worth.

TM

lol. I knew I wouldn't catch you guys out, but I thought it was kinda cool, and I am still PO'd that the puzzle setter got it wrong!!

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Holtom later wrote to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, explaining the genesis of his idea in greater depth: "I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it." Ken Kolsbum, a correspondent of Holtom's, says that the designer came to regret the symbolism of despair, as he felt that peace was something to be celebrated and wanted the symbol to be inverted. Eric Austen is said to have "discovered that the 'gesture of despair' motif had long been associated with 'the death of man', and the circle with 'the unborn child'," possibly referring to images in Rudolf Koch's The Book of Signs, (Das Zeichenbuch, 1923) an English edition of which had been published in 1955.
The symbol became the badge of CND and wearing it became a sign of support for the campaign for unilateral nuclear disarmament by Britain. An account of CND's early history described it as "a visual adhesive to bind the [Aldermaston] March and later the whole Campaign together ... probably the most powerful, memorable and adaptable image ever designed for a secular cause."

Not patented or restricted, the symbol spread beyond CND and was adopted by the wider anti-war movement. It became known in the United States in 1958 when Albert Bigelow, a pacifist protester, sailed a small boat fitted with the CND banner into the vicinity of a nuclear test.

So there you go - he shared his ideas and it became a movement which goes on to this day!! Hope you enjoyed - it's getting hard to fool you lot!! At least honestly!!

For all:

Thanks for playing. Just to sustain the mood - a link to the Isle of Wight Festival, circa 1970 with some thoughts on peace, flower power, and of course, great music!!! See you next week!!

Nancy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Last of several links to the festival.

I love that he never patented the symbol-wanted it to be free.

Thanks for the stats and the chance to travel back in time!

Cynthia

Oh darn. The video won't play on my iPad. Will have to wait until Chuck gets off the Mac :(

I will watch it, though.

Cynthia