Disclaimer This blog is about the graphic design of burglar alarms and has no connection with the companies featured. Most photos show vintage sounders and are not the latest products of the firms under discussion. For up-to-date info on any company, please visit their official website.
Burglar Alarm Britain
Where vigilante culture meets vernacular design
Category Archives: Monochrome
Secure Installations Alarm, Falmouth: giant hand
Posted by on May 10, 2013
“Secure Installations Alarm” burglar alarm, Falmouth • Giant hand holding tiny house – nice. • Spotted: Market Strand, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Truro and Falmouth
Securaplace, Southwark: lockdown
Posted by on May 9, 2013
“Securaplace” burglar alarm, Southwark • Fabulous old sounder with a lock and a house. • Spotted: Borough High Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
County Intruder Alarms, Stroud: popular
Posted by on April 25, 2013
“County Intruder Alarms” burglar alarm, Stroud • Yet another CIA alarm – a popular name. See also Christie Intruder Alarms and Cirencester Intruder Alarms. • Spotted: London Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Stroud
E, Southwark: big E
Posted by on April 4, 2013
“E” burglar alarm, Southwark • A big E. I mean, what can you say? Aceeeeiiid!!!!! • Spotted: Snowsfields, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Advanced Alarms, Oxford: big A
Posted by on March 31, 2013
“Advanced Alarms and Electrical Ltd.” burglar alarm, Oxford • Starting today: big letters. It’s a very popular trope, which means I have more than enough big letters to do practically a whole alphabet. And that’s exactly what I shall do: here’s the A. • Spotted: George Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Oxford East
“1ABC”, Stroud: numbers
Posted by on March 5, 2013
“1ABC” burglar alarm, Stroud • Starting today: a few logos with numbers. This one seems hand-carved out of white tape. • Spotted: London Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Stroud
“A1″, Westminster: alphabetical
Posted by on February 27, 2013
“A1 Security Systems” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • Nice Eurobell suggesting a Roman road, something very good, and an ambition to come first in alphabetical lists… • Spotted: Great Titchfield Street, City of Westminster, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cities of London and Westminster
“Prime”, Newcastle: dog food
Posted by on February 26, 2013
“Prime Security Systems” burglar alarm, Newcastle upon Tyne • I’ve been to Newcastle several times, so am shocked to find this is the first (and indeed only) burglar alarm I’ve ever photographed there. And this from someone who has even photographed sounders in Hull and Hereford (which, let’s face it, are not exactly on Tripadvisor’s top 10 city breaks list). So, just as well that Prime suggests excellence. Or dog food. • Spotted: New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne East
“Classic”, Hackney: boring
Posted by on February 25, 2013
“Classic Alarms Security Systems” burglar alarm, Hackney • Excellent of name, boring of appearance. Though green alarms are rather rare. • Spotted: Calvert Avenue, Hackney, London, E2, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
“Alert”, Margate: awakenings
Posted by on February 20, 2013
“Alert Security” burglar alarm, Margate • Alert reads as both an adjective and a verb: boasting that the excellent security is awake (as one would hope), but also promising to alert security (and awaken all the neighbours too) in case of felony. It’s not exactly Shakespeare, but it is quite clever. • Spotted: Fort Hill, Margate, Kent, CT9, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Thanet North
“Expert”, Milton Keynes: trainer
Posted by on February 7, 2013
“Expert” burglar alarm, Milton Keynes • Now we move from alarms boasting sheer excellence into those claiming prowess in the field of business, with a superb sounder that looks like the Adidas stripes, minus one, off an old-school trainer. • Spotted: Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Milton Keynes North
“Lingfield Alarm Supplies”, East Grinstead: local
Posted by on January 28, 2013
“Lingfield Alarm Supplies Co Ltd” burglar alarm, East Grinstead • An attractive building-block monogram for what sounds like a small local company, yet I also found an ancient LAS sounder in Bath once – which is rather a long way from Lingfield on the sleepy Surrey border. Maybe it’s one of those DIY jobbies. • Spotted: London Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Sussex Mid
“GAF Alarms”, Islington: punny
Posted by on January 26, 2013
“GAF Alarms” burglar alarm, Islington • One of my favourites, both for its awkward yet traditional 1920s-style monogram, and the fact that GAF is a sort-of pun on house, though I’m not sure if that’s intended.• Spotted: Whitecross Street, Islington, London, EC1, England, 2008 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Islington South and Finsbury
“AT Alarms”, Derby: clunky
Posted by on January 21, 2013
“AT Alarms” burglar alarm, Derby • Called AT in the logo, and ATA in the monogram, with neither explained (Alarm Technology, perhaps). I wonder if the clunky ATA is meant to conjure up the scales of justice? Because it looks more like a trestle table. • Spotted: Town centre, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Derby South
“ASG Security”, Falmouth: sacrilege
Posted by on January 20, 2013
“ASG Security” burglar alarm, Falmouth • Oh sacrilege. You can just about see, underneath this sticker, the superb original Alarm Service Group design, which I eulogise here. Somebody went and replaced it with this awkward three-letter monogram, which remains unexplained, despite repeating the initials twice. • Spotted: Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Truro and Falmouth
“Avant Garde”, Islington: advance guard
Posted by on January 14, 2013
“Avant Garde” burglar alarm, Islington • Originally French for “advance guard”, these days avant garde means being somewhat ahead of the times. Generally the term refers to artists, but I don’t see why burglar alarms shouldn’t be included too. • Spotted: Caledonian Road, Islington, London, N1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Islington South and Finsbury
“Burglarm”, Winchester: eccentric
Posted by on December 31, 2012
“Burglarm Southampton” burglar alarm, Winchester • And finally, to see out 2012, one of my all-time favourite monograms, which I have been waiting two long years to feature – the eccentrically-titled Burglarm, whose monogram inexplicably features an S-shaped serpent struggling out of a letter “B”. I suppose it stands for Burglarm Southampton, and since it’s not a town noted for snake infestations, the slithering fellow must represent a burglar. Anyway, Burglarm are no more: founded in 1968, they were taken over in 2006 by the rather grand Berkeley Guard, who maintain a nice page of Burglarm history here. • Spotted: Town centre, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Winchester
“Taybell Alarms”, York: groovy
Posted by on December 29, 2012
“Taybell Alarms” burglar alarm, York • Groovy! This charming monogram looks like something off an early 1970s boutique, apt since Taybell was founded in 1974. Utterly fab. • Spotted: Gillygate, York, Yorkshire, YO3, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of York Central
“Computa Guard”, Bolton: rusty lovely
Posted by on December 26, 2012
“CG Computa Guard” burglar alarm, Bolton • I have already spoken of my love of the Computa-Guard design here, but this is a more 3-D (and possibly more recent, despite its rustiness) version of their monogram. A comment here says that CG was part of the Mayne Nichols group (who I can’t find reference to on the internet, no matter how I spell it), and that CG became Security Express Alarms in 1989-1990 – as pictured here. • Spotted: St Georges Road, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bolton North East
“AAI”, Camden: red triangle
Posted by on December 23, 2012
“AAI” burglar alarm, Camden • Today I start the theme “monograms”. The UK definition of a monogram is “a design composed of one or more letters, typically the initials of a name” (though in America I think it is defined as at least two letters); and the initials should be specially-drawn, generally entwined in some way. There are so many monogrammed sounders I can’t show them all in one run – it would go on for months – so I’ve decided to start with nine of my favourites, taking us up to the end of the year. Honourary pole position must go to Hertfordshire-based AAI, whose boss Andy Gilmore is a regular commenter on this blog. I always reckoned the AAI monogram had been designed to fill up as much of the sounder as possible, which he confirms: “Our logo was designed by my [business] partner’s daughter-in-law, who was studying art. When designing the logo, we wanted something which was clear and obvious even from a distance.” Apparently it was inspired by the Nu-Tron design, another of my favourites, and AAI base all their company’s branding round their logo’s triangle – never changing the shape of the bell box, even when switching manufacturer. And though AAI, like most monograms, also falls into the “unexplained acronym” camp, Andy Gilmore confides that the initials were based on Andy, Adam, Ian – the latter pair his first (brief) business partners, when he was just 14. What a great story! • Spotted: Percy Street, Camden, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
“Tamar”, Exeter: gridlocked
Posted by on December 8, 2012
“Tamar Security” burglar alarm, Exeter • Ah, the eternally gridlocked Tamar Bridge, slender link across he Tamar between Devon and Cornwall. It’s not named after the Jewish temptress of Biblical legend (more’s the pity), but an ancient British word meaning something like “dark flowing”, as is the Thames. • Spotted: Town centre, Exeter, Devon, EX1, England, 2009 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Exeter
Above: the real Tamar Bridge
“Severn Telford”, Ironbridge: industrial
Posted by on December 7, 2012
“Severn Telford” burglar alarm, Ironbridge • Found on the River Severn near Telford, so does what it says on the can. Probably dates back to the Industrial Revolution, which started at the spot I found it – Ironbridge Gorge. Oh, and the Severn is Britain’s longest river, don’t you know. • Spotted: Tontine Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire, TF8, England, 2008 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Telford
Above: the River Severn at Ironbridge Gorge, near Telford
“Brook”, Camden: babbling
Posted by on November 28, 2012
“Brook Security Limited” burglar alarm, Camden • Ah, brook – a tiny babbling burn, as opposed to the mighty waterways to come. Probably nothing to do with the nearby Tyburn, one of London’s many underground rivers. • Spotted: Charlotte Street, Camden, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
Above: a babbling brook (not in London, as you may guess)
“Universal Security”, Cornwall: impressive
Posted by on November 16, 2012
“Universal Security (UK) Ltd” burglar alarm, Cornwall • Not just local, national, continental or global, but downright universal – impressive! • Spotted: Bank Street, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of St. Austell and Newquay
Ghost under “Southwest Security”, Bristol: fusillade
Posted by on November 13, 2012
Ghost under “Southwest Security (Bristol)” burglar alarm, Bristol • Finally, a quiet ghost amidst a veritable fusillade of screw-holes. Tomorrow: global alarms. • Spotted: Baldwin Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
Ghost under “Chubb”, Camden: supplanted
Posted by on November 1, 2012
Ghost under “Chubb” burglar alarm, Camden • Away with you, six-sided ADT (or possibly Modern). You have been supplanted by the mighty three-cornered Chubb. • Spotted: Kilburn High Road, Camden, London, NW6, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn
“Cannon Security”, Bristol: new gun
Posted by on October 24, 2012
“Cannon Security” burglar alarm, Bristol • I started this weapons category with an old Cannon, so I’ll end it with a new one. And tomorrow’s category? It’s a mystery even to me. • Spotted: Queen Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Essex Security Services”, Tower Hamlets: not scimitars
Posted by on October 18, 2012
“Essex Security Services” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • Courtesy of Essex Security Services, already heavily featured on this blog, come what I at first thought were three scimitars – curved sabres good for slashing from horses, and much favoured in medieval Arabia. But as I am reliably informed by the firm’s head honcho (see comments, below), they are in fact Seaxes: Germanic daggers from which the Essex-bound Saxons took their name, and which now feature in the Essex coat of arms. • Spotted: Redchurch Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E2, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
“HSS Alarms”, Tower Hamlets: yeoman
Posted by on October 13, 2012
“HSS Alarms” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • HSS used to be based in Harlow, so I reckon HSS stands for Harlow Security Systems. Aptly for a sounder located in Tower Hamlets, it pictures a Beefeater – aka a Yeoman of the Guard, which is apparently an incorrect term for Yeoman Warder, ie a geezer who ceremonially “guards” the Tower of London. That looks like a vicious weapon he’s carrying, but in fact it’s just a decorative staff. Tomorrow however, the theme is indeed weapons. • Spotted: Redchurch Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E2, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
“Pro-Guard”, Tower Hamlets: swishy
Posted by on October 8, 2012
“Pro-Guard” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • It’s a bit hard to read, but the tiny label at the bottom says “Pro-Guard”. It’s in a swishy 1940s font called “Brush Script” which was in fact popular in the 1970s – and as it looks like it was drawn in Rotring pen, it could well have been created in that decade. But time has passed, and all it’s guarding now is a a superannuated industrial building in a crumbly stump of road amputated by the Olympics site. At least it’s better than that horrible 2012 Olympics logo. • Spotted: White Post Lane, Tower Hamlets, London, E9, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
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