Unless you were alive in the 1930′s, you might not have seen Canon’s original logo. Originally spelt “Kwanon” and depicting the bodhisattva Kwan’on, the logo has since had two major overhauls, and a handful of minor changes.

“Canon’s first logo was indeed very different from what follows over the years. It was a depiction of the Buddhist’s Goddess of Mercy sitting on a lotus flower, with her thousands of arms and surrounded by flames. The next logo in line only retained its ‘Kwanon’ brand name, using unique typefaces. By 1935, Canon’s logo was changed to that of ‘Canon’. That logo was progressively refined till 1956, when it becomes the logo we see today.”- HongKiat

Link: Evolution of Logos

[PetaPixel via HongKiat]