.png)
Here is the Lombard Street. It is a street notable for its connections with the City of London’s merchant, banking, and insurance industries stretching back to medieval times. It’s even been compared to the famous Wall Street of New York City!
Lombard street is where historically most UK-based banks had their headquarters. The new business that moved into the premises on this road typically inherited the signs that were already above their shops.
Since houses in the 17th century didn’t have numbers, businesses used intricate designs and symbols to attract customers. These signs also served as an important form of identification for a largely illiterate population.
When the Founding partners of Barclays bank moved their business to 54 Lombard Street, they inherited the sign of the Black Speared Eagle. It remains part of their logo today.
Check the logos below to see the similarities!
Images by home.barclays
The same story applies to the 5th largest bank in the UK - the Lloyds Banking Group. The black horse sign originally hung above the establishment of goldsmith Humphrey Stokes. By 1728 it was being used by another Lombard Street goldsmith, John Bland. The business grew and in 1884 went to Lloyds Bank. So the emblem with the image of a black horse was inherited by the new owner.
Images LLoyds Bank Logo
Blog post created by Ruta from GlobeTrott Travel
Based on "The City of London" audio tour @GlobeTrott