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: Lib-Dem Party
Crime Cure, Bristol: old fave
Posted by on May 17, 2013
“Crime Cure” burglar alarm, Bristol • Update of an old favourite, as featured here. Where’s the house? It’s surrounding the massively complex heraldic device. • Spotted: The Arcade, Horsefair, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
Imperial Security, Bristol: Chinese
Posted by on May 15, 2013
“Imperial Security” burglar alarm, Bristol • Chinese house! • Spotted: The Arcade, Horsefair, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
Wimpey Security, Southwark: reflected
Posted by on May 12, 2013
“Wimpey Security Systems Monitored Alarm” burglar alarm, Southwark • Another arrow-house, this time reflected into an angular crenellated shield. • Spotted: Glasshill Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Home Security Services, Southwark: arrow-house
Posted by on May 11, 2013
“Home Security Services” burglar alarm, Southwark • Cross between a giant arrow and a house, and pretty old and faded. • Spotted: Riley Road, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
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
TAN Alarms, Bath: eaves
Posted by on May 7, 2013
“TAN Alarms” burglar alarm, Bath • Starting today: alarms with houses on, like this clever use of As as roof eaves (though no clue as to what TAN stands for). • Spotted: Pierrepont Street, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
MFS, Bristol: circles
Posted by on May 2, 2013
“MFS” burglar alarm, Bristol • One of Bristol’s never-ending array of burglar alarms. I always like letters in circles. • Spotted: The Arcade, Horsefair, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
MCSS, Southwark: stencilled
Posted by on May 1, 2013
“MCSS” burglar alarm, Southwark • Randomly stencilled, army-style – that’s hard core old-school. • Spotted: Bermondsey Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
JA, Bath: worst
Posted by on April 29, 2013
“JA” burglar alarm, Bath • Officially the worst sounder design I have ever found. • Spotted: Belvedere, Lansdown Road, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
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
Dent Security, Cambridge: big D
Posted by on April 3, 2013
“Dent Security” burglar alarm, Cambridge • I think this jolly big D is meant to represent a padlock, if not a threat to put a dent in Johnny Burglar. • Spotted: Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of South Cambridgeshire
Vocal Vale, Norwich: choral
Posted by on March 15, 2013
“Vocal Vale Great Yarmouth” burglar alarm, Norwich • Another classical music reference, with another double initial, and again found in Norwich – I wonder if it’s related to yesterday’s Sonata Security? Conjures up Welsh miners singing in a valley (or something). • Spotted: Town centre, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Norwich South
Sonata Security, Norwich: tuneful
Posted by on March 14, 2013
“Sonata Security” burglar alarm, Norwich • I’ve featured a lot of sound and music-based alarms without ever having a dedicated category (apart from bells), so here’s one now. Sonata is rather a tuneful concept for a sounder, and look how the double S makes a kind of snakey heart… very upmarket. The only other classical music reference I’ve come across so far is Berkeley Guard, run by the scion of a famous composer. • Spotted: Town centre, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Norwich South
“Apex”, Bath: tippy-top
Posted by on March 1, 2013
“Apex Alarms” burglar alarm, Bath • From Greek to Latin excellence with an alarm called Apex, meaning the very tippy-top. • Spotted: Bartlett Street, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
“Fab”, Cardiff: fab indeed
Posted by on February 24, 2013
“Fab Security System” burglar alarm, Cardiff • Finally I made it to Wales, where I found this utterly fab FAB alarm. A keyhole and a Thunderbirds catchphrase – can’t get more excellent than that. • Spotted: Womanby Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF10, Wales, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Cardiff Central
“Adept”, Bath: understated
Posted by on February 21, 2013
“Adept Fire & Security Systems Ltd” burglar alarm, Bath • This logo with its strange pink spot suggests only borderline excellence, as adept is such an odd, understated word: the thesaurus offers flowery synonyms like adroit, accomplished, and dextrous. But it’s more fun playing “antonym alarms”, so my non-excellent doppelganger would simply be called “Inept fire and security”. Which might not catch on. • Spotted: Miles’s Buildings, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
“Pro-Wired”, Bristol: hookers
Posted by on February 12, 2013
“Pro-Wired” burglar alarm, Bristol • Well I’d certainly hope it wasn’t wired up by unprofessionals. And I won’t make any jokes about drug-addled hookers… • Spotted: Braggs Lane, Bristol, Avon, BS2, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“DPS Alarms”, Bristol: double-page spread
Posted by on January 25, 2013
“DPS Alarms” burglar alarm, Bristol • So good they named it twice – that’s a tiny DPS monogram above the self-same black initials. DPS is what publishers call a double-page spread, fact fans, but I somehow doubt that’s the firm’s name. • Spotted: Broad Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“ATA Systems”, Bristol: intricate
Posted by on January 22, 2013
“ATA Systems Protegimus” burglar alarm, Bristol • Not sure if this is related to yesterday’s ATA – the trestle-tabley monogram’s quite similar, if somewhat ambiguous as to whether it says AA or ATA. The surrounds, however, are vastly more intricate: a heraldic array of shield, crossed swords, scary cyclops eye, what looks like a maltese cross poking out from behind, and all supported with a scroll bearing the Harry Potteresque declamation “Protegimus” (we protect). Leaving nothing to chance, then. • Spotted: Nova Scotia Place, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Ape Fire & Security”, Bristol: wild
Posted by on January 19, 2013
“Ape Fire & Security” burglar alarm, Bristol • Ah, APE – not only a wild animal emitting soundwaves, but an unexplained hand-drawn monogram in the shape of a circle. Many boxes ticked. • Spotted: Victoria Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Aeon”, Bristol: eternity
Posted by on January 13, 2013
“Aeon Electronic Protection Systems” burglar alarm, Bristol • Now we move on to astronomical time, literally – the term “aeon” has been used to describe the period between big bangs, though to the ancient Greeks it meant simply eternity. All that and a crosshair too. • Spotted: Royal Oak Avenue, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“AM”, Cambridge: shorthand
Posted by on January 6, 2013
“AM Alarm Maintenance” burglar alarm, Cambridge • An abbreviation for Alarm Maintenance, but handily for my “Time” theme, also shorthand for “ante meridiem“. I’m also enjoying the sounder’s black letter font and the frankly horrible colour scheme of the wall it’s affixed to. • Spotted: Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of South Cambridgeshire
“Future”, Bath: timely
Posted by on January 1, 2013
“Future Security Systems” burglar alarm, Bath • So endeth two years of burglar alarms. But blub ye not (in the unlikely event that you were), because – amazingly, heroically, certifiably – I have at least another year’s-worth to publish, though I won’t always be writing “pithy” comments as in the past. And to usher in the new year, 2013′s first theme is “Time”, which I shall kick off with the, um, futuristic Future. Why? Well, 2013 sounds like a science fiction year, and also there’s a big publishing company called Future based in Bath, where I found this sounder. So here’s to the future. Cheers! • Spotted: Margaret’s Buildings, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
“Sector Guard”, Southwark: targeting
Posted by on December 19, 2012
“Sector Guard Fire & Security Systems” burglar alarm, Southwark • A successor to yesterday’s Sector Alarm, this still targets felons with crosshairs, albeit a smaller radar sweep. Inclusion of that ever-poular burglar alarm word, “Guard”, is another nod in the direction of the military. • Spotted: Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
“Cannon”, Bristol: big guns
Posted by on December 14, 2012
“Cannon” burglar alarm, Bristol • A word, fact fans, derived from the Italian for “big tube“. And basically a giant gun, so obviously shooting-related. • Spotted: All Saints Lane, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Marksman”, Bristol: take aim
Posted by on December 13, 2012
“Marksman Security Ltd” burglar alarm, Bristol • Today I start a brief and brutal run of shooting-related sounder designs, both deliberate and coincidental. The word “marksman” is a fairly unambiguous reference to firearms, as are the target-like soundwaves (if that’s what they are)… so, take aim! • Spotted: Broad Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Shipman”, Southwark: hello sailor
Posted by on December 12, 2012
“Shipman Security Systems Limited” burglar alarm, Southwark • On a river you require a ship (or at least a boat). An to run it, a salty shipman – not a made-up word to justify including this alarm in the “rivers” theme, but a medieval term for a sailor. Proof: one of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” is called “The Shipman’s Tale“, aka “The Sailor’s Tale”. So it must be a real word. And having scraped the bottom of the seabed to connect this particular alarm to rivers, tomorrow I shall move on to another theme. • Spotted: Dolben Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Above: some salty shipmen
“Avon Alarms”, Bristol: gorge
Posted by on November 29, 2012
“Avon Alarms” burglar alarm, Bristol • There are several River Avons in the UK, because Avon is a derivation of the ancient British word for river: thus River Avon actually means River River. This charmingly discotastic sounder refers to the lovely “Bristol Avon“, which runs through Gloucestershire and Wiltshire en route to Bath and Bristol, where it cleaves the mighty Avon Gorge then heads out to sea. Avon Alarms are a familiar sight in the city, which also used to be in the county of Avon, before it got turned into a “unitary authority”. • Spotted: Clifton area, Bristol, Avon, BS8, England, 2006 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
Above: the Avon Gorge, Bristol
“A1 Alarms”, Southwark: straight
Posted by on November 26, 2012
“A1 Alarms” burglar alarm, Southwark • The A1, running from London to York and Edinburgh largely following a straight ancient Roman route, is famously the UK’s longest numbered road. This company probably meant their name in the sense of “very good”, but seeing as I’ve found examples of their sounders in both London and York, perhaps they did have the highway in mind too. • Spotted: Bermondsey Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Above: part of the very long A1
“USA”, Southwark: speeding
Posted by on November 21, 2012
“USA” burglar alarm, Southwark • This is incredibly faded, but I’m pretty certain it’s a stylised speeding world globe next to the initials USA. It is a skilled design which looks very familiar, suggesting it was “closely inspired” by something more famous, such as the iconic 1983 AT&T logo by graphics godfather Saul Bass. • Spotted: Rouel Road, Southwark, London, SE16, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
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