Collection search - Designs relating to the CN logo [graphic material: art]

Record information – Brief
1
Designs relating to the CN logo [graphic material: art]

Hierarchical level:

Sub-series

Date:

1959-1960.

Reference:

R231-4550-0-E

Type of material:

Art

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

6026154

Context of this record:

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Canadian National Railway Company fonds

Art relating to Canadian National Railways

Designs relating to the CN logo
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Record information – Details
Sub-series includes:

11 lower level description(s)
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Date(s):

1959-1960.

Place of creation:

Ontario

Extent:

73 drawings: pen and ink; pen and ink over pencil; pencil; coloured pencil; brush and ink; pastel; pastel and other media; charcoal

Language of material:

English

Accession:

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Canadian National Railways Logo collection [graphic material]

Scope and content:

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This sub-series consists of preliminary designs in the form of drawings and photographs relating to the development of the new Canadian National Railways corporate logo in the late 1950s. Works by James Valkus, Allan Fleming, Carl Ramirez, Arthur King, and John Davies. There are 73 design sketches, and all material is located within one container, volume 16626.

Head of public relations Dick Wright commissioned New York-based James Valkus Inc. and gave him the task of realigning perceptions and setting a new benchmark in the 'customer-friendly', 'technologically advanced' railroad it had become. James Valkus himself, on studying the problems, came to the conclusion that CN needed more than just a new trademark - it needed an overhaul of its complete visual identity.

In 1959 the New York industrial design firm James Valkus commissioned Alan Fleming to create a new logo for Canadian National Railways as a key part of Valkus' company-wide corporate redesign programme. Allan Robb Fleming RCA (7 May 1929 - 31 December 1977) was a Canadian graphic designer and was vice president and director of creative services at the typographic firm Cooper and Beatty Ltd.

The resulting logo, launched in 1960, is still in use today and acclaimed as one of the top 50 corporate logos of all time by design historian Alice Rawsthorn.

The drawings include 34 pen and ink or pen and ink over pencil; 13 pencil or coloured pencil; 7 brush and ink; 15 pastel or pastel and other media; 2 charcoal..

Additional name(s):

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Canadian National Railways (1919-1960)

Additional information:

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Related material:

See Mikan 6026153 CN Visual Redesign Program sub-series for more records relating to the corporate logo.
Subject heading:

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Canadian National Railways - marketing - advertising - branding

corporate logo
Source:

Government

Related control no.:

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1977-002 PIC

Other accession no.:

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1977-002 PIC
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Graphic (art)

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Volume [R231] 16625

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Date modified:: 2024-06-12