News / University of Bristol

Colston’s dolphin removed from University of Bristol signage

By Martin Booth  Wednesday Jun 5, 2024

Dozens of signs at the University of Bristol are currently being subtly altered to remove the dolphin that is closely associated with Edward Colston.

Colston died nearly 200 years before the university was founded but his personal emblem – based on the story of when a dolphin prevented one of his ships from sinking – formed part of the institution’s crest and modern logo.

The lower left segment of the newly redesigned logo features moving pages and a bookmark, which the university says “reflects the institution’s core mission – education and learning”.

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The sun symbol of the Wills family and the horse emblem of Fry’s remain on the logo, with the university founded through substantial financial donations made by these two families.

The castle and ship symbols, which also feature on the logo, are from the medieval seal of the city of Bristol.

The logo was first updated on digital platforms along with some prominent signage on campus – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

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