Re: Earliest documented use of designation 'cormorant'???????

Posted by Leeedy On 2018/12/24 14:56:18
Quote:

Don Shields wrote:
W.C. Williams, author of "The Heraldic Packard," Appendix VI on page 767 of the Kimes-edited Packard History book, wrote that the Packard advertising department decided that 'Cormorant" sounded more dignified than "Pelican" and first used the term in an accessories catalog for the Seventeenth Series cars in mid-1938. The word was used again in the 1940 Data Book, copyrighted in August, 1939. This was done without seeking management approval and apparently launched a decade-long debate on the issue. Finally, Packard Vice-President Milton Tibbetts issued a memo in 1949 stating that the original designers had intended the bird to be a pelican and that is what it should be called.

Today, 80 years later the matter still seems to be unsettled. Many viewers of my 1954 Convertible have commented on the beauty of the "Swan" hood ornament. So be it a Pelican, Cormorant or a Swan I think we all can agree it is one beautiful bird.


The pelican vs. cormorant is another one of these facets of Packard lore that will likely be argued about forever and forever. The one thing that most don't realize is that people who write text for car companies (and others) often don't bother to look up the official company nomenclature and simply insert whatever name they find to their choosing. But then people see it on a brochure or manual and that's argument evidence that can last ad infinitum. People presume any deviation from company terms means printed on a company publication certainly must have the blessing of the company. But this just isn't always the case.

I haver actually seen this done in the automotive business. A reference in the owner's manual or parts book may end up conflicting with what the sales and advertising guys say in the brochures... and then again both of these might conflict with engineering terms. This is how these things usually get started. Quickest thing that comes to mind is the use of the term "tonneau" when what is really being described is a "boot" or "dust boot" in convertibles. Of course all this gets crazier when we mix terms from outside of the USA where, for instance, a "boot" is what North Americans refer to as a "trunk."

Somebody, somewhere at Packard simply wrote in one term in place of the other... and it was game-on ever since.

The term "Swan" was commonly used by at least two different aftermarket hood ornament makers starting in the 1940s and 1950s. The aftermarket guys used this term in order to avoid getting into trouble with Packard... but didn't seem to worry a bit about copying the bird. People saw these things on the shelves at Pep Boys, Western Auto, and others... also in the J.C. Whitney catalogues, so this is likely how "Swan" terminology got so widespread. It is still used today in labeling and marketing the Packard clone bird ornament they still sell. If you are driving cross-country, stop in and look around in the retail area of any good-sized truck stop and you may see one for sale on the racks. They sell lots of these to long-haul truckers.

The two biggest makers of clone Packard birds were both located in Illinois. I have original catalogues for both. One of them shows over 24 different versions for 1955. Both companies also made smaller versions for motorcycles and even smaller still ones for bicycles. One catalogue shows even more names, such as "Flamingo" (looks just like the Packard bird, only with a slightly thicker head) and another version with lowered wings they refer to as the "Bugler." Smaller versions of the bird are called "Swanettes" and come either all chromed metal or with illuminated plastic wings... or just plastic wings. Some of the "Bugler" birds were made in gold plating. Then they have what they call "Jiffy Swan," "Jiffy Swanette," "Jiffy Bugler" and "Jiffy Flamingo" models. Ohhh... and instead of "Sliding boy" they have "Sliding Girl" ...uh, I won't describe that one-use your imagination. Anyway, page after page after page of clone Packard birds.

There have also developed at least two different names for another Packard ornament which we always called "the donut chaser" but which I see more recently being called "donut pusher."

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