Van Besouw is a Dutch carpet manufacturer founded in 1839 in Goirle by home weavers led by Jan van Besouw. The company began with the weaving of jute sacks and later developed into a carpet factory with a distinct character. In 2010, Van Besouw was acquired by Hillfloor and relocated to Genemuiden. [1]
Design and History
The visual identity of Van Besouw is closely tied to a significant rebranding effort in the late 1960s. In 1967, the company introduced “Van Besouw” as its brand name, reinforcing its unique identity with the slogan “It’s not just a carpet … it’s a Van Besouw.” [1] According to a 1968 NRC article, the old name “Bego” disappeared and became “Van Besouw.” Graphic designer Gerard Wernars gave the company a new house style, while industrial designer Benno Premsela focused on renewing the carpets themselves. [2]
Wernars (1924-2003) was a Dutch graphic designer who began his career at De Bijenkorf’s advertising department and established himself as an independent designer in 1947. His archive, held at the Allard Pierson collection of the University of Amsterdam, contains material from his major clients, including Storck Van Besouw (1968-1985). [3]
The NAGO (Nederlands Archief Grafisch Ontwerpers) digital archive documents several logo designs by Wernars for Van Besouw. One item, catalogued as “Van Besouw Goirle-Holland,” is a logo in offset technique, dated to the period of his work for Storck van Besouw BV. [4] The archive also contains a “Storck Van Besouw interior, wol tapijtlabel” (wool carpet label) designed by Wernars. [5] The NAGO archive lists a dedicated section for “Huisstijl en logo” (house style and logo) under the Van Besouw and Storck Van Besouw assignments, including items such as a Van Besouw stand at Kortrijk and a Van Besouw truck. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented descriptions of the logo’s visual form or its symbolic meaning are limited in the available sources. The TextielMuseum collection records several Van Besouw product samples from the late 1960s and 1970s that feature the logo printed in gold on packaging, alongside the company name. [7] One record from the museum’s collection describes a small square sample box with a recessed circle showing a carpet sample, with “het beeldmerk van Van Besouw” (the Van Besouw logo) printed on the back with product information. [8] These records confirm the logo’s use on product packaging and marketing materials but do not provide a detailed description of the mark’s design elements.
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