100 years of history - centenary of Royal Dutch Shell On July 5, 1907, Royal Dutch Shell’s corporate forefathers went to the notary to sign the official declaration for what at the time was a rather unique event: the coming together of two companies in two different countries, Royal Dutch and Shell Transport and Trading. Looking back over 100 years of history, it’s been an amazing journey. Mankind has managed to adapt, time and time again, through a century of rapid change and periodic upheaval. So has Shell. To read more, visit the Shell website.

The beginnings In 1833, shopkeeper, Marcus Samuel, decided to expand his London business. He sold antiques, but now added oriental shells. He aimed to capitalise on a fashion for using them in interior design. His instinct was right - such was the demand that Samuel quickly began importing shells from the Far East, laying the foundations for his import/export business. Read more

The early 20th century During World War I Shell became the main fuel supplier of the British Expeditionary Force and profited from increased after-war motor car use. By the end of the 1920s Shell was the world’s leading oil company and founded Shell Chemicals. The 1930s depression forced Shell to reduce its staff and World War II lead to the destruction of a lot of its properties. Read more

Post-war expansion Shell's post-war years were marked by reconstruction and an ambitious expansion programme. Scientific advances and a growing number of cars in the US led to an exploding oil demand. Shell contributed to the invention of the jet engine and in 1950 formed a partnership with Ferrari. In the late 1950s the Group’s structure was reorganised. Read more

1960s to the 1980s The 1960s strengthened Shell’s presence in the Middle East. The Dutch Groningen gas field and North Sea gas were discovered and Shell Chemicals entered a golden period for research. The 1973 oil crisis brought cheap energy to an end and Shell adopted a policy of diversification. In 1976 Shell produced its General Business Principles. Read more

1980s to the new millenium In the 1980s, Shell grew through acquisition and started some of its challenging offshore exploration projects. During the 90s Shell founded its LNG business and at the beginning of the millennium it started moving into new growth areas in the East. In 2005, Royal Dutch and Shell Transport were unified under Royal Dutch Shell plc. Read more

For more than 100 years the word ‘Shell’, our “Pecten” emblem and our distinctive red and yellow colours have identified the Shell brand and promoted our corporate reputation. These symbols have stood not only for the quality of our products and services, but also as very visible representations of our professionalism and values in all of our business activities, and to all of our stakeholders, around the world. The form of the Shell emblem has changed gradually over the years in line with trends in graphic design. The current emblem was created by the great designer Raymond Loewy and introduced in 1971. Thirty years on it stands the test of time as one of the world’s most recognised symbols.