The CND logo celebrates 50th birthday
The CND logo – one of the most widely know symbols in the world – is 50 years old.
Its logo, designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom became widespread outside of Britain during the 1960s as the “peace symbol“. The peace symbol is based on the international semaphore symbols for “N” and “D” (for Nuclear Disarmament) enclosed within a circle.
Of the design of the CND logo, Holtom wrote to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, explaining the personal genesis of his idea:
“I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.”
There is a common misconception that Bertrand Russell designed the logo, stemming from his being president of the organisation at the time.
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http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2271276,00.html#article_continue
