Pub Sign Studies – The Ostrich – Prestwich, Manchester

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The Ostrich amazed the first people who saw it in Africa, for its size, the speed with which it could run, and its viscous streak. The claim that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when attacked is a fallacy. If cornered, they kick violently. The other thing that amazed early observers of the bird was its tendency to swallow anything, including inedible rocks and metals. The bird’s feathers became much sought after for military helmets among high ranking medieval knights. The English Black Prince, Edward, son of King Edward 3rd, used ostrich feathers on his heraldic shields and this inspired many inns to adopt the name, The Ostrich. Though early inn sign artists would have used the actual full heraldic shield design as a basis for the pub sign, later artists got more imaginative and just painted an ostrich, as with the sign on this Prestwich pub. Arthur Chappell