Citation :
The origin of the "Cool S" is unclear. A similar-looking symbol appears in the 1890 book Mechanical Graphics. "Double 'S' markings" also appear in the 1982 painting Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The symbol also appears in the painting "The Ambassadors" by Hans Holbein the younger.
The name "Superman S" comes from a belief that it was a symbol for Superman, whose costume features a stylized "S" in a diamond shape, but that shape is quite different. Although frequently referred to as the "Stüssy S", Emmy Coats (who has worked alongside Shawn Stussy since 1985) has stated that it was never a symbol of the Californian surf company.
David Wångstedt, better known online as LEMMiNO, studied the topic for 5 years and attempted to find the origin of the S, but he concluded that the 1890 book Mechanical Graphics which was written by professor Frederick Newton Willson could most likely be the origin. Frederick taught geometry at Princeton University in New Jersey, where he could have shown students how to draw the S.
Paul Cobley, Professor in Language and Media at Middlesex University in London, England, provided an explanation for the prevalence of the "Cool S": "That is, it's fun to draw."
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