G. W. Sohlberg: A Finnish Tin Can Manufacturing Company

G. W. Sohlberg was a Finnish company that manufactured tin cans. The logos used by the company on their cans are typically a good way to date the cans. Throughout its operation, the company used at least the following logos:

Logo 1: Initially, the company used only a stamp with the company’s name written on it. The font and format of the text varied (for example, both “Oy” and “O/y” were used, and the name might be followed by “Helsinki” or “H”. This logo was in use from when the company began manufacturing tin cans around the late 1910s to early 1920s until the mid-1950s.

Logo 2: It appears that in some rare instances during the 1950s, and possibly even in the 1940s, the company used another logo alongside the previous one. This second logo featured the company’s abbreviation “G.W.S.” for the first time, though still written with periods. The same theme, without periods, was used in all subsequent logos.

Logo 3: Around the mid-1950s, the company introduced a logo where “GWS” was stylized within a cartouche, with a banner below it bearing the company’s founding year (often the year was omitted due to the small size of the logo). This logo was used on all products until the early 1970s (possibly until 1972). Simultaneously, in some rare cases, the logo appeared without the banner and with “GWS” written in a slightly different font (Logo 4).

Logo 5: In some rare instances during the 1960s and 1970s, a simple “GWS” abbreviation without the cartouche was used.

Logo 6: The final logo used by the company featured the letters “GWS” stylized within three darkened blocks. This logo was introduced in the early 1970s (possibly after 1972) and was used on all products until the early 1990s. Simultaneously, in some rare cases, the logo appeared without the darkened blocks surrounding the letters (Logo 7).