Some brands become so dominant in their function that their names eclipse generic terms. We ask for a Kleenex instead of a tissue or Google a topic instead of searching the internet. When the word “Pinkertons” is uttered, we conjure the same image: a private detective, or at least hired muscle. That name, Pinkerton, has become more than a man in the American ethos. It’s shorthand for an entire industry that still exists today.
“Pinkerton made his mark not only in his own time but also on posterity,” writes Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones in Allan Pinkerton: America’s Legendary Detective and the Birth of Private Security. “The management of his renowned firm, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, passed on his death to his sons. The resultant dynasty lasted
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