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: Monogram
Safe Homes, Lowestoft: diagonal
Posted by on May 16, 2013
“Safe Homes” burglar alarm, Lowestoft • Incorporating awkward diagonal logo. • Spotted: Town centre, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Waveney
Tel Cam, Lambeth: Ecurity
Posted by on May 14, 2013
“Tel Cam Security Systems” burglar alarm, Lambeth • Or, in this case, Ecurity Systems. I think that’s a weird tall house in the middle of the triangle, but it’s a bit hard to say. • Spotted: Electric Avenue, Brixton, Lambeth, London, SW9, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood
ADK, Bolton: parcel
Posted by on March 28, 2013
“ADK” burglar alarm, Bolton • This is somewhat unreadable, I’m just guessing it says ADK. I like the Union Jack “parcel” on the left. • Spotted: Bridge Street, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bolton North East
Clear Sound Security, Stratford-upon-Avon: swirling
Posted by on March 24, 2013
“Clear Sound Security” burglar alarm, Stratford-upon-Avon • Yet another double letter – two Cs making an S, if I read the monogram right. And a sort of swirling soundwave too. Quite clever really. • Spotted: Ely Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Stratford-on-Avon
Clarion, Camden: shrill
Posted by on March 19, 2013
“Clarion” burglar alarm, Camden • A clarion is a medieval brass trumpet, shrill in sound and popular with cavalries. Hence the term clarion call, and its suitability for a burglar alarm. I like the Chanel-style double C logo too; there seem to be quite a lot of double initials in these sound-based alarms. Maybe the kind of person who chooses musical names also responds to melodious alliterative repetitions (hey, deep). • Spotted: Covent Garden area, Camden, London, WC2, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
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
“i2i Security”, Middlesbrough: geddit?
Posted by on March 8, 2013
“i2i Security Middlesbrough” burglar alarm, Middlesbrough • There’s only one eye so it’s Eye 2 I, geddit? If it was Eye 2 Eye, they’d have had an eye on both Is. And if it was I 2 I, it would suggest serious undermanning. Or something. Found above a suitably poetic Lord Byron sign (see below). • Spotted: Bridge Street East, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS2, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Middlesbrough
“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
“Decorum”, Camden: genteel
Posted by on February 18, 2013
“Decorum Alarms” burglar alarm, Camden • Surely the most genteel name for a burglar alarm firm ever, and appropriate for the decorous Hampstead borders where I found it. Should belong in a posh little sub-genre with Kudos from Bath, which featured right at the start of this blog, and which has the same type of clock-radio-alike sounder. • Spotted: Finchley Road, Camden, London, NW3, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn
“Elite”, Camden: top nobs
Posted by on February 4, 2013
“Elite” burglar alarm, Camden • In with the nobs, and a monogram too. • Spotted: Branch Hill, Camden, London, NW3, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn
“WOT Security Group”, East Grinstead: swooping
Posted by on January 31, 2013
“WOT Security Group” burglar alarm, East Grinstead • Possibly stands for Walton-on-Thames, where I seem to remember spotting their office ages ago. I reckon that’s a world globe swooping in to make an “O”, though it also looks a bit like a moon. • Spotted: High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Sussex Mid
“SDS Security”, Merton: tiny
Posted by on January 30, 2013
“SDS Security” burglar alarm, Merton • A funny old sounder with a tiny SDS monogram, which in typical style is repeated in more legible text right next to it. SDS later used swanky chrome boxes with a larger monogram and no repetition – there’s an example here. • Spotted: Merton Road, Merton, London, SW19, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Wimbledon
“Management Security Services”, Lowestoft: twisted
Posted by on January 29, 2013
“Management Security Services” burglar alarm, Lowestoft • It’s a bit faded, but this MSS monogram is so tortuously twisted it looks like a piece of modern art. MSS also stands for “manuscript”, as do the initials of Midland Security Systems, who I haven’t featured yet (but will soon). • Spotted: Town centre, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Waveney
“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
“Integrated Systems Installations”, Islington: illegible
Posted by on January 27, 2013
“ISI Integrated Systems Installations” burglar alarm, Islington • I’ve long had a version of this without the name spelt out beneath, and I simply couldn’t work out if it said ISI or LSI. Lucky I found this one too, then. • Spotted: York Way, Islington, London, N1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Islington South and Finsbury
“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
“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
“Crime Beat Security”, Islington: bell-end
Posted by on January 24, 2013
“Crime Beat Security” burglar alarm, Islington • I’ve already featured the tortuous CBS bell here, but this is a more recent version with a curvier bell-end, and a garland of EU stars. Still a winner – ding dong! • Spotted: Cumming Street, Islington, London, N1, England, 2006 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Islington South and Finsbury
“CIA”, Cirencester: pretty
Posted by on January 23, 2013
“CIA” burglar alarm, Cirencester • This monogram surely stands for Cirencester Intruder Alarms rather than the other CIA whose classic red sounders sport a little running man. I like the way the box has been painted pink to match the pretty wall – very Cotswolds. • Spotted: Town centre, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cotswolds
“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
“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
“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
“AIJ Security Centre”, Dorking: pipework
Posted by on January 18, 2013
“AIJ Security Centre” burglar alarm, Dorking • The designer’s had great fun drawing up an AIJ monogram in the form of some groovy etiolated pipework – but what on earth does it stand for? • Spotted: Town centre, Dorking, Surrey, RH4, England, 2006 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Mole Valley
“ADT Security Systems”, Hackney: wonky
Posted by on January 17, 2013
“ADT Security Systems” burglar alarm, Hackney • ADT is so familiar it’s easy to overlook the logo, which is actually a rather wonkily-drawn three-letter monogram. Just for a change here’s a variation on the famous yellow hexagon, and on its side, too. • Spotted: Shacklewell Lane, Hackney, London, E8, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington
“Midnight”, City of Westminster: mosaic
Posted by on January 16, 2013
“Midnight Integrated Systems” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • Another time-monogram crossover: a mosaic of grey squares with gaps spelling out MIS, with a maroon square for the dot on the “I”. Stylish but somewhat illegible, it’s perhaps meant to suggest windows at night, or winking computer lights. Fortunately they’ve spelled out the full name below, which I’ve just noticed also has a tiny maroon dot on the “I”. It looks like the designer put a huge amount of effort and thought into this – resulting in one of the most unusual and un-burglar-alarmy sounder designs I’ve come across. • Spotted: Langham Street, City of Westminster, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cities of London and Westminster
“Timelight”, Cirencester: three-letter
Posted by on January 15, 2013
“Timelight Services” burglar alarm, Cirencester • Both a reference to time and a three-letter monogram, which will be the next theme. Though what Timelight actually means, I have no idea. • Spotted: Town centre, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cotswolds
“CPM”, Hackney: wordplay
Posted by on January 7, 2013
“CPM” burglar alarm, Hackney • Not sure if this rather minimal logo is meant to be a clever play on ”post meridiem“, as in “see you in the evening”, but I shall give it the benefit of the doubt. • Spotted: Curtain Road, Hackney, London, EC2, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney South and Shoreditch
“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
“So Secure”, Greenwich: handbag-worthy
Posted by on December 30, 2012
“So Secure” burglar alarm, Greenwich • I love this beautiful double S monogram, which is so sophisticatedly retro in its black-and-olive curvyness that it wouldn’t look out of place on an Orla Kiely handbag. (That’s a compliment, chaps.) However, perhaps not the most legible – it wasn’t till I found a version with the website on that I realised the green circle meant it said “SoSecure”. Until then I’d always read it as “SSecure”, putting it in the rather large “SS” logo category (in the Security Services, rather than Nazi sense). Whereas in fact it kind of says SOS. Very clever. • Spotted: Herbert Road, Greenwich, London, SE18, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Greenwich and Woolwich
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