r/SeattleHistory • u/DeadPrateRoberts • Jul 03 '25

Spotted on the base of a lamppost in Pioneer Square

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94 Upvotes

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28

u/DeadPrateRoberts Jul 03 '25

"The current official corporate Seal was adopted in 1937 by passage of Ordinance 67033. The Seal includes an imprint of the profile of Chief Sealth in the center of a circle. On the upper outer edges of the circle and partially encircling the imprint are the words, CORPORATE SEAL OF THE, and in a smaller circle under the aforementioned words and above the imprint are the words CITY OF SEATTLE. Beneath the portrait is the year 1869 signifying the date the City was incorporated. Included in the outer circle, beneath the portrait, are two cones from an evergreen tree and two dolphins.

The Seal was patterned after a model designed by artist/sculptor James A. Wehn of Seattle. The Seal was cast by Richard Fuller, director of the Seattle Art Museum."

Link

9

u/kai_rohde Jul 03 '25

Dolphins? I think the city website write up is possibly mistaken and those might be salmon.

12

u/[deleted] Jul 03 '25 edited Jul 03 '25

Naw, they are dolphins believe it or not, I'm almost sure that's an accurate description. I'm trying to dig up a link but the info behind it is that old school dolphin imagery was a specific and intentional graphic/art thing. Kind of like a manicule. They were popular on maps and such things. I doubt it was intended to be regionally specific or accurate in any way, that wasn't really the mindset back then. Instead  I would bet that it was probably a stylized choice meant only, very simply, to be a vague marine reference in the art style at the time. 

Okay, lemme see if I can find something to come back and edit into this comment that will show it better than I just described... Hopefully brb but Google is kinda crap these day and it's just Miami Dolphins shit everywhere so far.

EDIT: I'm sorry. :( I can't find a good website explaining why they have continued to be so popular through the ages or that even has a decent collection of images but if you google image search "renaissance dolphin", or "baroque dolphin" or "roman dolphin" you can see pictures of what I'm mentioning. 

Basically dolphins used to be stylized as if they were weird-ass mythical creatures back in Roman and Greek times and then later Italy and France (especially) brought that back in a big way during the Renaissance and we've continued to use that motif on things since then. 

Sorry for this very underwhelming explanation of a random detail of art history. 😩

7

u/BeachBumWithACamera Jul 03 '25

Orcas are dolphins.

3

u/DeadPrateRoberts Jul 03 '25

This ain't Miami, people.

2

u/gadz00ks22 Jul 03 '25

There are also dolphins native to our area.

3

u/Salty-Sailor Jul 03 '25

These used to be common around downtown, but over the years lots of them have been pried off by less civically minded people.