What Is the General Electric Logo?
The General Electric logo is the GE Monogram: the letters G and E in flowing script inside a circle with scalloped edges. Its first known use was in 1898, on a pendant hanging from a GE ceiling fan.
General Electric is the American industrial company formed in Schenectady, New York, in 1892. After the company split in three, GE Aerospace, GE Vernova and GE HealthCare all kept the Monogram. The blue circle is available as the General Electric logo SVG.
General Electric Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1898; trademark approved in 1900 |
| Symbol | None; the letters GE in script inside a scalloped circle |
| Logo type | Lettermark: the initials G and E |
| Owner | GE Aerospace, which licenses it to GE Vernova and GE HealthCare |
What the General Electric Logo Means
The GE Monogram is the company's initials, framed as a badge. A 1923 advert gave it a lasting description: "the initials of a friend".
Bruce Barton of the agency BBDO wrote that advert. It called the two letters an emblem of service, and it helped the logo take off.
- The letters: G and E in an old-fashioned flowing script
- The ring: a circle around the initials
- The dingbats: four small "ingrowing" ornaments set into the ring
General Electric Logo History
The General Electric logo has kept the same basic form since the 1890s, changing mostly in colour and line weight.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1892 | General Electric is formed by a merger |
| 1898 | First known use, on a ceiling fan pendant |
| 1899 | GE submits the logo to the US Patent and Trademark Office |
| 1900 | The trademark is approved |
| 1909 | The Monogram settles into white script on a black background |
| 2004 | A redesign aims to make the company warmer and more relatable |
| 2022 | Medium blue is confirmed as the official design |
Before 2004, changes were limited to line thickness and the shape of the dingbats. The form has stayed the same since the 2004 redesign.
In 2022 GE gave each of its planned companies its own colour for the Monogram. GE HealthCare took compassion purple, GE Vernova evergreen and GE Aerospace atmosphere blue.
- 1950s: the logo appears on General Electric Theater, a TV series hosted by Ronald Reagan
- 1964: a red Monogram features on a World's Fair poster
- 1985: Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat make art using the Monogram
- 2017: the logo appears on a patch on the Boston Celtics' green shirts for three seasons
For more brands like GE, browse our industrial logos, or compare the Hitachi logo.
Who Drew the GE Monogram?
No one knows for certain who drew the GE Monogram. When GE tried to register it in 1899, it could not identify the originator.
The long-accepted account credits Arthur L. Rich of GE's catalogue department, who said he first lettered an acquaintance's initials, G.E.G., on a bag. He later drew GE for ceiling fan motor guards, adding a ring and four dingbats. Historians have since doubted his story, and competing claims keep surfacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the GE logo?
GE does not know for certain. Catalogue department employee Arthur L. Rich has long been credited, but historians doubt his account.
When was the GE logo first used?
Its first known appearance was in 1898, on a pendant hanging from a GE ceiling fan. The trademark was approved in 1900.
Which companies use the GE Monogram?
GE Aerospace, GE Vernova and GE HealthCare. GE Aerospace owns the trademark and licenses it to the other two.