Ampersand [&] Art

It all started with a scribble. That’s right, nearly 2000 years ago our lovable ampersand was born in Italy on a cave wall, a fusion of the characters ‘e’ and ‘t’ which combine to ‘et’ (the Latin word for and). But how did “and” become the ampersand you say? Well, the ampersand was born because so much a part of European writing that it was the honorary 27th letter of the alphabet. During the recitation of the alphabet in grade school, students would say “and per se and” which was eventually slurred to ‘ampersand.’ Who knew!

Today, ampersands are used largely in contemporary culture, typographical design world and even as an art form. Take a look at some of the ways this curvy little symbol is being expressed.