Private Eye Green

Yellow text around an illustration of an eye on a green background

“Private Eye” is a popular slang term for professional investigators, widely used for over 150 years. In common vernacular, it implies that investigators see everything—however the actual root of the expression can be tied directly to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, founded by Allen Pinkerton in the mid-1800s. This logo became iconic, and the work of the early Pinkerton investigators became infamous. Because the logo appeared on badges, uniforms, and advertising media, people started calling the Pinkerton detectives “Private Eyes.” Although the profession has evolved far beyond the Pinkerton agency, the concept of the Private Eye as all-seeing and all-knowing holds true. In fact, many modern private investigators still use the eye in their logos!