Piggy-banks? No, Scottie-banks!

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Har du noen gang lurt på hvorfor den svenske Handelsbanken har en skotte som ikon? Ja, bortsett fra at man rent budskapsmessig forknipper en skotte med nøkternhet og sparsommelighet?

Her er historien: Gustaf Westerlund var partneren til den kjente skotteoppdretteren (og buntmakeren i sitt sivile liv) Sven Sundquist. Sundquist drev Kennel af Brååtha, et skotteoppdrett som drev samtidig med den anerkjente Birgit Westerström, Kennel Ferox. Disse to kennelene var ledende i Sverige (og Norden) fra 50-tallet - ledende i hver sin farge: Sort og brindle. Les mer om Westerström på: http://skotte.bloggagratis.se/2008/10/29/1065096-till-minne-av-birgit-westerstrom/

Gustaf Westerlund var sjef i en avdeling i Handelsbanken og det var nok han som gjorde at skotten kom til å bli Handelsbankens visuelle symbol. Formgiveren som Handelsbanken hyret inn for å formgi de berømte skottesparebøssene het Stig Lindberg. Lindberg var bare 20 år gammel da han fikk sin første kontakt med Gustavsberg porselensfabrikk utenfor Stockholm. Anlegget gikk dårlig, og lederen av fabrikken kunne ikke engang love Stig en sommerjobb. Den unge, selvsikre Lindberg svarte da: "Hvis du ansetter meg vil jeg sørge for at det blir jobb på fabrikken.” I løpet av de to sommermånedene viste han Gustavbergs kunstneriske leder, Wilhelm Kage, hva han kunne. Det var som Kåges student at Stigs karriere som formgiver begynte, og mange arbeidsplasser ble skapt på fabrikken.

Stig Lindberg jobbet også som industridesigner. I 1959 utformet han et TV-apparat med dreibar skjerm ”Lumavision for Luma” og i 1962, en transistorradio for det samme selskapet. Også skottesparebøssen for Handelsbanken da. Skotten som stod modell for bøssen het visst ”Bankmann af Brååtha”.

Lindberg etterlater seg en rik produksjon av former, farger og illustrasjoner som ikke gjenspeiler det typiske skandinaviske formspråk - fast og kjølig - men et mer lekent, fargerikt og humoristisk et.

På bildet: Her ser du min samling Handelsbank-skotter. De store i plast er moderne, de mellomste er eldre, mens de i keramikk i forgrunnen er produsert av Gustavsberg (og er ikke sparebøsser).

Kilder: Dan Ericsson, Joan Frodi og Wikipedia

Foto: Peter Hewitt

Have you ever wondered why the Swedish Handelsbanken (Bank of Commerce) has a Scottie as its icon? (Maybe you didn’t even know this if you’ve never been to Sweden?) One is quick to think of a Scotsman as being thrifty, right? Undoubtedly this is the association the bank wanted it’s customers to have.

Here's the story: Gustaf Westerlund was the partner of the renowned Scottish Terrier breeder (and furrier in his civilian life) Sven Sundquist. Sundquist was the man behind Kennel af Brååtha, a kennel that he ran simultaneously with the much acclaimed Birgit Westerström, Kennel Ferox. These two were the leading kennels in Sweden (and Scandinavia) from the 50's - leading kennels in their particular colours: Black and brindle. Read more about Westerström on: http://skotte.bloggagratis.se/2008/10/29/1065096-till-minne-av-birgit-westerstrom/

Gustaf Westerlund was head of a department at the Handelsbank and it was probably he who made the Scottie the Handelsbanken's visual symbol. The designer that the bank hired to design the famous Scottie-piggy-bank was called Stig Lindberg. Lindberg was only 20 years old when he came in contact with the Gustavsberg porcelain factory outside Stockholm. The factory was in trouble, and the head of the factory could not even promise Stig a summer job there. The young, confident Lindberg replied: "If you hire me I will make sure there are jobs at the factory." During the two summer months, he showed Gustav's artistic director, Wilhelm Kage, what he was capable of. It was as Kågen´s student that his career as a designer began, and many jobs were created at the factory.

Stig Lindberg also worked as an industrial designer. In 1959 he designed a TV with swivel screen "Lumavision for Luma" and in 1962, a transistor radio for the same company. And we mustn’t forget the Scottie-piggy-bank! The Scottie who modelled for the piggy bank was called "Bankman af Brååtha".

Lindberg leaves behind a rich production of shapes, colours and illustrations that do not reflect the typical Scandinavian style - strict and cool - but is a more playful, colourful and humorous style.

The picture: Here is my collection of Handelsbanken Scottie-piggy-banks. The large plastic ones are modern, the middle ones are older, while the ceramic ones in the foreground are produced by Gustavsberg (and are not piggy-banks).

Sources: Dan Ericsson, Joan Frodi and Wikipedia
Photo: Peter Hewitt