The Atlanta Braves are one of the oldest baseball teams. They have been around since 1876, and they have been called the Braves since 1912. The team has won the World Series, and they have had many legendary players, like Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews. Over their long history, the Braves logo has changed many times. In this article, we will look at all the past Atlanta Braves logos, and see how they have inspired the modern version. Keep reading to find out many interesting facts about the Atlanta Braves logo.
Atlanta Braves Logo Design Elements
The Atlanta Braves current logo has a red and blue design that contains both the team name and a symbol. It says “Braves” in a script font that only capitalizes the B. This word slants up slightly towards the right side of the logo. The text is in a light red color, and each line is outlined in dark blue. Red with dark blue outlines is also used to depict a tomahawk that lies horizontally underneath the team’s name. This tomahawk has an arrow-shaped head held on with gold rope that is also outlined in the blue color of the logo.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
The team’s first logo was a line drawing of a Native American warrior’s profile. They then switched to a Gothic, capitalized B instead. Until 1952, the Braves kept switching between the big B logo and the sideways image of a Native American wearing a feather headdress. They finally moved away from this when they went with a circular logo that had a slightly more realistic picture of a Native American.
The team then moved to a logo that pictured a Native American man with a mohawk and a single feather in his hair in 1957. He appeared to be either laughing, screaming, or shouting. In 1966, the word “Braves” was added below this. A few years later, a rectangle was placed around the image and name. This remained the same until 1990, when the present logo was created.
2. Color
The Braves colors are red and blue, but most of their logos have not followed this color scheme. At first, the Native American was drawn in red and white, but it was eventually changed to a more realistic color scheme that featured brown skin and red, white, green, and yellow feathers. The big B logo was typically blue in most versions.
The Braves finally made a logo that referenced their team colors in 1972, when they wrote “Braves” in red outlined with blue. The next logo was also a blue, rectangular background that had the man’s face in red and white, and the team’s name in red outlined with blue.
3. Font
The font used for the capitalized B logo was an ornate, Gothic font with exaggerated curls, swirls, and extra lines. In 1966, the team first began using a script font. This font was altered to be thinner and italicized in 1972, and that font is still in use today.
Influences/Inspiration
The Atlanta Braves current logo has been in use since 1990. Its design is supposed to reference the team’s past, without containing offensive imagery like Native American stereotypes. Fans of baseball are extremely nostalgic, so the company was worried that it would upset fans if they changed the logo too much. Therefore, the Atlanta Braves logo stuck with their script font. The tomahawk symbolizes throwing accuracy and force, referencing the team’s athleticism and skill.
Trivia
- Before they were the Atlanta Braves, the team was called the “Boston Braves” and the “Milwaukee Braves.”
- The team’s caps do not contain the logo. Instead, they contain a capitalized, script A in white.
- When the logo shows up on jersey sleeves, it has two tomahawks that are crossed over each other.
- The Atlanta Braves reignited the controversy surrounding Native American-themed sports logos when they placed their old “screaming savage” logo on merchandise.
Conclusion
Baseball team logos for Native American teams are always tricky, because the company needs to satisfy both nostalgic fans and real Native Americans. The current Atlanta Braves logo does a nice job of referencing old logos, without being too problematic. Its unified color scheme and clean lines make the logo work well for team uniforms, stadiums, and fan merchandise.
Recommended Read: Red Sox Logo Design History and Evolution
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