Vanderbilt University School of Law

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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01 November 2006 12:10
 

http://law.vanderbilt.edu/images/seal.gif

My alma mater has a very simple COA that alludes to the many oaks on the campus and the crenellations of Kirkland Hall.  How would one blazon the crenellations?

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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01 November 2006 12:37
 

I wouldn’t blazon them at all—they strike me (heraldically speaking) as within the artist’s discretion in determining the shape of the shield.  Of course, in this case the client’s discretion in establishing a fixed form of the emblazonment trumps the artist’s discretion, as it inevitably does.

When I was at Vanderbilt as a graduate student 30 or so years back, you could still see vestiges of previous arms designs around the campus, notably (1) Or a chevron reversed Sable, and (2) Per pale Or and Sable a chevron reversed counterchanged.

 

BTW—I think that, while there are many oak trees around the campus, the one in the arms may be intended (at least in part) to allude to part of the Vanderbilt family arms.  If I recall correctly, Cornelius Vanderbilt’s arms were impaled, and the sinister field had five oak leaves in saltire.  I may be mistaken about the specifics, but I know there are oak leaves there somewhere.

 
Michael Swanson
 
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Michael Swanson
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01 November 2006 13:18
 

Ben Foster wrote:

http://law.vanderbilt.edu/images/seal.gif

My alma mater has a very simple COA that alludes to the many oaks on the campus and the crenellations of Kirkland Hall.  How would one blazon the crenellations?

 


I don’t think it is heraldic.  I am also an alumus.

 

The Vanderbilt school of nursing has a possible heraldic device:  http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing/

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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01 November 2006 14:01
 

Joseph McMillan wrote:

BTW—I think that, while there are many oak trees around the campus, the one in the arms may be intended (at least in part) to allude to part of the Vanderbilt family arms.  If I recall correctly, Cornelius Vanderbilt’s arms were impaled, and the sinister field had five oak leaves in saltire.  I may be mistaken about the specifics, but I know there are oak leaves there somewhere.


With the three of us, I think we have quorum for an ad hoc alumni meeting!

 

I had always assumed it was all the oak trees.  This is really interesting information.  I am going to try to locate the Vanderbilt arms.

 
Michael Swanson
 
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Michael Swanson
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01 November 2006 14:11
 

Ben Foster wrote:

With the three of us, I think we have quorum for an ad hoc alumni meeting!

I had always assumed it was all the oak trees.  This is really interesting information.  I am going to try to locate the Vanderbilt arms.


If we knew what we know about heraldry now, we would not have applied to Vanderbilt due to their poor or nonexistent heraldic tradition. wink

 
ermine
 
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ermine
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01 November 2006 15:06
 

hello

a note from Holland

you might be interested in a armorial bookpate for a member of the Dutch Vander Bilt-family . I enclose hereby the image

greetings from Holand

Daniel de Bruin.

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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01 November 2006 15:17
 

ermine wrote:

hello

a note from Holland

you might be interested in a armorial bookpate for a member of the Dutch Vander Bilt-family . I enclose hereby the image

greetings from Holand

Daniel de Bruin.


Notes from Holland are always welcome, especially from you Mr. de Bruin.  Your work is much admired in this forum.

 

The image of the bookplate does not seem to be attached.  Can you repost it?

 
ermine
 
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ermine
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01 November 2006 15:23
 

No, I see

i’m not trained enough in attaching the images

in this forum

I will try another time when I read more about these procedures

heraldic greetings !

Daniel de bruin ("the ermine")

 
Stuart
 
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Stuart
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01 November 2006 15:52
 

I also am an alumnus. Vanderbilt has had a checkered history of using many different quasi-heraldic shields: one leaf one acorn, several leaves with several acorns, a shield with a large "V" throughout (clearly not a chevron) with the date of founding in the lower sinister, etc, etc. Sometimes the top of the shield is crenellated and in the from of an inverse "V" as if one is looking at an architectural drawing of the top of Kirkland Tower from one of the corners.)

I am not sure we can say with certainty that there is one true blazon. The seal has Cornelius’ head on it in profile, not a shield.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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01 November 2006 16:00
 

But the version "Or an oak leaf bendwise Argent fimbriated, veined, slipped, and acorned Sable" has been used pretty consistently as the university’s principal visual identity for more than 30 years now.

Perhaps the V could be blazoned as a reversed chevronel rather than a chevron, but it was "throughout" and thus appeared truly heraldic.

 
ermine
 
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ermine
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01 November 2006 16:07
 

Ben Foster wrote:

Notes from Holland are always welcome, especially from you Mr. de Bruin.  Your work is much admired in this forum.

The image of the bookplate does not seem to be attached.  Can you repost it?

Ben,

it’s not quite clear how to attach

i see only insert URL’s

Is there a procedure

A so called Post composition page was mentioned but couldn’t find it

yours

Daniel de Bruin

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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01 November 2006 16:11
 

I have not found a good example to post yet, but it does look like acorns play a prominent role in the original Vanderbilt COA, as Joe indicated.

I do not speak Dutch, and would be greatful for confirmation, but from what I could ascertain, the name was orginially "Van de Bylt," which itself stems from "Byltye" (hatchet) an occupational nickname given to ship makers/carpenters.  I wonder if the acorns are meant to allude to the shipmaker’s preference for oak?

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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01 November 2006 16:16
 

Daniel,

This is the procedure.  In your post, put the image "value" ("http" etc.) between the two image codes as listed below.  To make sure it appears, you can preview the post.  If the image is only on your hard drive, you will need to load it on to a site such as http://imageshack.us/ .  This will then give you a direct link for posts.

 

 

 
ermine
 
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ermine
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02 November 2006 00:37
emrys
 
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emrys
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02 November 2006 03:33
 

Ben Foster wrote:

I have not found a good example to post yet, but it does look like acorns play a prominent role in the original Vanderbilt COA, as Joe indicated.

I do not speak Dutch, and would be greatful for confirmation, but from what I could ascertain, the name was orginially "Van de Bylt," which itself stems from "Byltye" (hatchet) an occupational nickname given to ship makers/carpenters. I wonder if the acorns are meant to allude to the shipmaker’s preference for oak?


No the name comes from the Dutch town : De Bilt. The "van der" bit only means "from the town of". About the arms, in them you can see the Frisian eagle and the acorns, the acorns are almost certain a reference to farming.

 
Ben Foster
 
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Ben Foster
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02 November 2006 15:47
 

emrys wrote:

No the name comes from the Dutch town : De Bilt. The "van der" bit only means "from the town of". About the arms, in them you can see the Frisian eagle and the acorns, the acorns are almost certain a reference to farming.


Thanks for the clarification! Do you know the origin of the town’s name?  Also, is the Dutch system similar to the German system where a coat of arms is shared by a family?