Why is the GCU logo a leopards head?
The form of the choir badge and logo – both known as the Leo – reflects the Goldsmiths Choral Union’s connection with its patron the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, one of London’s livery companies, and with Goldsmiths College. The Goldsmiths’ Company had founded the college in 1881, and the choir was originally established there as an evening class in 1932 (see our History section). In the early 1970s, when the GCU was in process of becoming a self-governing organisation, it sought a lasting tangible link with the Worshipful Company. It was suggested that this link might be achieved through the adoption of a badge and logotype that could also serve as a GCU brand image. The Goldsmiths’ Company liked the idea and gave its permission for a badge and logo to be designed based on the London Assay Office Mark, which is a leopard’s head. For more information on the Assay Office Mark, visit that section of the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Website by clicking here. In 1971 the Worshipful Company o
