Who is the Lloyd's Register lady?

Lloyd’s Register’s universally recognised symbol, the Ladybadge, only goes back to the 18th Century, but despite this, she remains shrouded in mystery. In fact the closer we come to the present day, the less we know about the origins of the many Lady-badge versions, especially since 1900. But first of all, what of the lady herself?

Pending the advent of the 18th Century, notions such as neo-classicism have lead to comparisons between the lady and Greek goddesses or even heroines from earlier times. It’s possible, of course, that the Lady is based upon nothing more than Britannia, that legendary British pre-historical mother figure, who traditionally dominated the sea. The revival of Britannia as the national personification of Britain took place in 1667, at the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, when Charles II commissioned a commemorative medal depicting the heroine with the features of Lady Frances Stuart. The Lloyd’s Register badge could be one of the variations on the theme of the Lady who refused to be Charles II’s mistress!

In fact, the most famous version of the Ladybadge is said to be based on Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, commerce and the liberal arts, a combination at once incongruous and appropriate to today’s multi-faceted society. The Ladybadge was not Lloyd’s Register’s first symbol. On the cover of the Register Books for 1775 appeared an anchor device. The anchor is a very ancient symbol, found in Egyptian tombs, in Babylonian cuneiform tablets, and on Assyrian stelae, denoting, among other things, hope, security, and strength, so it was not an inappropriate badge for a ship classification society.

As far as Lloyd’s Register is concerned, this first symbol, redrawn from time to time, remained the principle badge for some 58 years. The anchor continued as a Lloyd’s Register device until 1975 when it last appeared on the spine of the Lloyd’s Register of Yachts, although it still continues today, of course, as one of the elements of the Ladybadge

The first of the Ladybadges must be accredited to the rival Shipowners’ Register, instituted in 1799. 

They obviously felt that something impressive was called for and designed accordingly. Depending on the interpretation, the Lady could have begun her career as a humble nymph, a minor deity of Nature inhabiting forests, streams and granaries. Alternatively, this could be the representation of a nefarious siren, coddling a doomed ship by luring unaware sailors to joust with rocks. The anchor, of course, was included, and the Register Book itself is depicted as mighty and thick. However, comparing that volume with today’s three-volume compendium, makes one wonder if this was a pious hope for future development or an early marketing strategy over rival publications. The overall effect is that of an all seeing eye, a nice touch, which would probably appeal to our surveyors today. This symbolism, however, soon vanished and has never reappeared.

The design was radically changed when Lloyd’s Register was reconstituted in 1834, and the two books amalgamated into the Register of Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping. The nymph was now promoted to a full scale goddess and the ship, previously heading for the rocks, now safely sails away. 

Since history records the purpose that at this time Britain’s empire was reaching its zenith, perhaps this was a very appropriate symbol. Another ship lies at anchor secured beneath the Lady’s raised right arm. She also holds the staff of Aesculapius, which was the symbolic rod carried by all Greek gods. Such staves were common regal symbols in the past, i.e. Pharoah’s wand of Horus, and even survive among today’s leaders; the major’s swagger stick and the ornamental fly switch universally carried by African chiefs.

The origin of the entwined serpents has many interpretations. These range from early serpent worship, identification with the forked tongue of lightning, to identification with the bronze serpent Moses was commanded to set up in the wilderness, which “healed” the children of Israel when they looked at it. Again, not inappropriate symbolism for a ship classification Society with Lloyd’s Register’s standing for reliable information and technical advice.

The anchor is still there, of course, albeit underfoot, but now the lady is wearing a mural crown, symbolic of the City of London from where her activities radiated. Surprisingly, the Register Book disappears, to be replaced by an open scroll. In classical times, a furled scroll symbolised hidden knowledge, but since this one is open and unsealed, symbolically the knowledge it contains is open to all. Many will recognise this Ladybadge because this was the version used, with just the address changed as necessary, on the cover of the Register of Ships until 1974, as well as on other publications (for example the Appendix until 1979- 80).

Returning to the 1830s, a circular badge appeared on the title paper of the Lloyd’s Register Book.

It was only one inch in diameter and acted very much like the bookmark the College of Heralds awarded Lloyd’s Register in 1957. It incorporated most of the ingredients which by now have become traditional. The Lady still carries the staff, still stands on the anchor and still wears a crown. The two ships are still there, one sailing away, the other at anchor. There is one very significant addition: bails of merchandise on the quay.

Britain’s empire by this time had largely changed from one of conquest to one of trade. The contribution of the merchant fleet to the success and survival of such a world girdling realm, which has never been equalled in square acreage or diversity of subject peoples, is almost beyond estimation- and Lloyd’s Register played no small part in the success of that fleet. This little badge was excellently designed and beautifully drawn. It continued to appear on the title page of the Register Book until 1889.

The following lady graced the titled page of Lloyd’s Register’s Annals in 1884. She is clearly an adaptation of the bookmark lady, although the image includes cargo at the lady’s feet, one item dated 1834.

In 1886 Lloyd’s Register began to publish the Universal Register, in which for the first time were included unclassed foreign ships of 100 gross tons and above. On the title page appeared an original design for the Ladybadge, drawn by Harry J. Cornish. His drawing was reproduced on the cover of the Universal Register in gold with a naval crown above (5). When the Universal Register was amalgamated with the Register of Ships in 1890, the Goddess of 1834 was retained as the cover motif, though the Cornish Lady continued to appear on the title page.

Cornish, perhaps the most revered of our Chief Ship Surveyors, was obviously a superb artist. He produced several “ladies” in addition to his Ladybadge and included one in the title page of his award winning illustrations for the Rules for Composite Ships (6). The following was another of Cornish’s ladies and featured in a photograph album of Lloyd’s Register’s surveyors in the mid-1800s. She also appeared, in a simpler form, in, Chairman, Thomas Chapman’s Address of 1875.

The Cornish lady was redrawn 30 years later by Ernest Hicks Oliver, Editor of the Register of Yachts until 1936, and an amateur painter. 

Cornish’s fine ink lines proved impossible to reproduce using then modern printing methods; Hicks Oliver responded to this by redrawing the badge using a combination of photographic and hand techniques, trying to retain as much of the flavour of the original as possible. He knew Cornish and always maintained that it had been his idea to ally the Lloyd’s Register Lady with Pallas Athena. “That’s why Mr Cornish clothed her in Greek costume and breastplate with a caduceus” (Mercury’s wand), said Oliver. “The only concession he made was to replace her helmet with a modern naval crown”.

Discovered in a file after publication of ‘Who was that Lady?’ in Society in 1981, this lady, dubbed the naughty lady, was the work of Eric Fraser, a very well known British illustrator. Thought to be drawn in the 1950s, this version, in upholding Classical Greek tradition, had the left breast bared, symbolising succour to those in need— again, highly significant for what had become by this time the world’s largest classification society with interests around the globe and an unrivalled reputation for service. Perhaps in attempt to avoid causing offence, it looks as though a liberty bodice has been added as an after-thought under her robe and sash.

It seems that another Lady was drawn during Pelly’s chairmanship. The design was executed by artist, illustrator and engraver Reynolds Stone (1909-1979). It was displayed as part of an exhibition of Stone’s work, where it was stated Stone was a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art from 1952 to 1963 and that the design was produced in 1952.

This lady has never, to our knowledge, been used in a Lloyd’s Register publication and we have no record of the design or any other copy. The illustration above appeared in Society.

In 1958, as our 200th anniversary approached, we applied for, and were granted, a Coat of Arms, which incorporates the Lloyd’s Register Lady- or someone very much like her- holding the anchor in one hand and the serpent rod in the other. After two centuries, it’s nice to think that at last she has properly become Lloyd’s Register’s Lady.

The history of the next Ladybadge is shrouded in mystery. She just appeared. Legend has it that it was designed by an “unknown hand” in the 1950s during the time of Sir Kenneth Pelly’s chairmanship. One day he asked his secretary for a piece of notepaper and, rather flustered, she offered him a choice between the old version and the new, which had just arrived. “Which version do you prefer” she asked, “The Fat Lady or the Thin Lady?” The new version was used on the title page of the Register Book from 1952-53.

It was this version that was adapted in 1970 by Graham Pumphrey, Chief Technical Illustrator. His brief was that the Lady should remain unchanged, but that the anchor chain and legend be adapted. This was the time when competition with one of our rivals, founded in 1828, was intensifying and it became important to emphasise our 1760 origins, rather than the 1834 pre-constitution. She was revamped again in the 1980s, with a new larger font style accentuating the foundation date. She was first used as a large embossed image on the cover of the 1988/89 Register and repeated in a watermark style on the title page. This watermark style was also replicated on Lloyd’s Register’s stationery.

In 2000, Corporate Communications set about designing a new lady to complement the new logo. Her simple elegance has yet to grace a Lloyd’s Register publication. Instead the 1970 lady has been modified to reflect Lloyd’s Register’s move into other sectors than shipping, such as industrial and offshore inspection, energy and transportation (including rail) and management systems accreditation.

The Ladybadge is now seen less often on official documents and publications, though it is still to be found in relief on the cover of the Register of Ships. In the 1980s, Lloyd’s Register adopted a new logo, using the words “Lloyd’s Register”, it is this logo which was then used on all our headed notepaper, certificates, documentation and signage.

This logo, launched on 7 December 2013, is inspired by the LR stamp – the true brand that our surveyors have stamped into steel as proof of approval since 1884. It is a logo drawn from our heritage, designed for the digital age.

Richard Sadler, LR Group CEO at the time, justified the change with the aim to develop a new digital identity reflecting our heritage and our continued commitment to independence, technical excellence and public benefit. The renewed logo was also a device linking together all the members in our group, including the newly introduced LR Foundation, making a broad service portfolio easier to navigate.

Our newest logo is an embodiment of our status as trusted advisers within the maritime industry. To reflect a more modern, confident Lloyd’s Register, this logo has undergone simple refinement. 

Reduced to the cutout L and R letterforms, the logo is a window into our customer’s world that allows fragments of the images and colours to show through. This emphasises our connection with the content in the image and the industry that we support and guide. At its simplest form, it is contained within The Square — a surround that is either white, Marine Green, Foundation Fuchsia or black.

Lloyd’s Register Foundation, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as ‘Lloyd’s Register’. Lloyd’s Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Lloyd’s Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.