The Chicago Blackhawks logo is a left-facing profile of a Native American head wearing a feathered headdress, a mark the National Hockey League franchise has used in some form since its founding in 1926. The current primary logo, introduced in the 1964-65 season, depicts the head without the circular frame and lettering that surrounded earlier versions. The team was founded by Major Frederic McLaughlin, who named the franchise after the “Blackhawk Division” of the 86th Infantry Division, in which he served during World War I. That division was itself named after Chief Black Hawk, a Sauk leader prominent in the history of Illinois. [1]
Design and History
Irene Castle, McLaughlin’s wife at the time, designed the original logo and uniforms for the Black Hawks, as the team was then known. [2] The first crest was a black-and-white illustration of a Native American head enclosed in a circle, used from the team’s inception in 1926 until 1935. [3] The logo was reportedly inspired by a similar mark used by the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, where McLaughlin played polo. [4]
Color first appeared in the logo in 1935, when Black Hawk’s skin was rendered red and his hair light. That version was replaced in 1937-38 with a cleaned-up design that added green and blue elements. [5] A further retouch in 1955 enlarged the head, added multicolored feathers, and introduced red and white war paint on the face. [5]
The defining change came in 1964-65, when the team dropped the circle and lettering entirely, leaving a larger Black Hawk head as the sole crest. This is the logo the franchise still uses today. [5] The team name was spelled as two words, “Black Hawks,” until the franchise consolidated it to “Blackhawks” in the 1980s. [5] Prior to the 1999-2000 season, the team made minor adjustments to the logo’s colors, altering the shade of red and slightly changing the green, blue and yellow tones. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo depicts Chief Black Hawk, a Sauk leader who resisted U.S. expansion into Illinois in the 19th century. The team’s name and imagery honor his legacy, a connection the organization has emphasized in its public statements. [1] The current logo features a gold face with black used for the eyes, nose, mouth and hair, surrounded by multicolored feathers in red, green, yellow and orange. [6]
The mark has also been the subject of ongoing cultural debate. Critics, including members of Black Hawk’s family and some Native American advocacy groups, have called for the team to change its name and imagery. [7] The team has stated it intends to keep the name and logo, saying it believes the imagery “honors and celebrates the legacy of Black Hawk.” [7]
Typography and Design
The current primary logo is a standalone illustration with no accompanying wordmark. Earlier versions of the crest, used from 1926 through the early 1960s, placed the head inside a circular roundel with the team name set in lettering around the edge. [5] The team’s secondary logo, introduced in the 1955-56 season, features two crossed tomahawks atop a stylized “C.” [8]
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