Ambigrams have been independently invented by a number of artists. According to John Langdon, ambigrams were independently invented by himself and by Scott Kim in the 1970s.2 Langdon and Kim are probably the two artists who have been most responsible for their popularization, but other artists, notably Robert Petrick, who designed the Angel logo, claim to be independent inventors. Some earlier ambigrams are known, but each of the artists created those ambigrams created only one or a few.
The earliest known non-natural ambigram dates to 1893 by artist Peter Newell. Although more well known for his children's books and illustrations for Mark Twain and Lewis Carroll, he published two books of invertible illustrations, in which the picture turns into a different image entirely when turned upside down. The last page in his book, Topsys & Turvys contains the phrase THE END, which, when inverted, reads PUZZLE. In Topsys & Turvys Number 2 (1902), Newell ended with a variation on the ambigram in which THE END changes into PUZZLE .
Early published ambigram by Mitchell T. Lavin in The Strand, June 1908
From June to September, 1908, the British monthly The Strand published a series of ambigrams by different people in its "Curiosities" column. Of particular interest is the fact that all four of the people submitting ambigrams believed them to be a rare property of particular words. Mitchell T. Lavin, whose "chump" was published in June wrote "I think it is in the only word in the English language which has this peculiarity," while Clarence Williams wrote, about his "Bet" ambigram, "Possibly B is the only letter of the alphabet that will produce such an interesting anomaly."
In 1969, Raymond Loewy designed the NEW MAN logo, which is still in use today. The DeLorean Motor Company logo was first used in 1975.
Kim used the name Inversions as the title of his first collection in 1981. The first published reference to the term "ambigram" was by Hofstadter, who attributed the origin of the word to conversations among a small group of friends during 1983–1984. The original 1979 edition of Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach featured two 3-D ambigrams on the cover.
Ambigrams became much more popular as a result of Dan Brown incorporating them into the plot of his bestseller, Angels & Demons; Langdon produced ambigrams that were used for the book cover, and a link to his website from Brown's meant he was "suddenly inundated" with commissions. Brown used the name Robert Langdon for the hero in his novels as an homage to John Langdon.
Today, ambigrams are available on a variety of products and have become popular for tattoos.
The earliest known non-natural ambigram dates to 1893 by artist Peter Newell. Although more well known for his children's books and illustrations for Mark Twain and Lewis Carroll, he published two books of invertible illustrations, in which the picture turns into a different image entirely when turned upside down. The last page in his book, Topsys & Turvys contains the phrase THE END, which, when inverted, reads PUZZLE. In Topsys & Turvys Number 2 (1902), Newell ended with a variation on the ambigram in which THE END changes into PUZZLE .
Early published ambigram by Mitchell T. Lavin in The Strand, June 1908
From June to September, 1908, the British monthly The Strand published a series of ambigrams by different people in its "Curiosities" column. Of particular interest is the fact that all four of the people submitting ambigrams believed them to be a rare property of particular words. Mitchell T. Lavin, whose "chump" was published in June wrote "I think it is in the only word in the English language which has this peculiarity," while Clarence Williams wrote, about his "Bet" ambigram, "Possibly B is the only letter of the alphabet that will produce such an interesting anomaly."
In 1969, Raymond Loewy designed the NEW MAN logo, which is still in use today. The DeLorean Motor Company logo was first used in 1975.
Kim used the name Inversions as the title of his first collection in 1981. The first published reference to the term "ambigram" was by Hofstadter, who attributed the origin of the word to conversations among a small group of friends during 1983–1984. The original 1979 edition of Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach featured two 3-D ambigrams on the cover.
Ambigrams became much more popular as a result of Dan Brown incorporating them into the plot of his bestseller, Angels & Demons; Langdon produced ambigrams that were used for the book cover, and a link to his website from Brown's meant he was "suddenly inundated" with commissions. Brown used the name Robert Langdon for the hero in his novels as an homage to John Langdon.
Today, ambigrams are available on a variety of products and have become popular for tattoos.
