Georg Olden (graphic designer)
Georg Olden | |
---|---|
Born | George Elliott Olden November 13, 1920 Los Angeles, California |
Occupation(s) | Graphic designer, ad man |
George Elliott Olden (November 13, 1920 – February 25, 1975) was an American graphic designer who worked in television and advertising. Working at CBS, Olden helped to create the visual identities of shows such as Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, and Lassie.[1] In 1963, Olden became the first African-American to design a postage stamp, creating a design commemorating the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. Olden was an AIGA medal-winning graphic designer,[1] and a Japanese magazine, Idea, once listed him among the top fifteen designers in the United States.
Early life
George Elliot Olden was born to James Clarence Olden and Sylvia Ward Olden in
Career
Olden dropped out of college after the
From 1945 to 1960, Olden worked with
In 1963, he became the first African-American to design a postage stamp for the United States Postal Service. The design commemorated the centennial of the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation with a simple design of a broken chain in black on a blue background. He attended a White House ceremony where the stamp was introduced by President John F. Kennedy.[6][10][11]
In 1970, McCann Erickson laid him off with the reason being cited as the economic downturn of the time.[9]
Personal life
Olden married Courtenaye MacBeth in 1941 and divorced her in 1966, the same year he married his second wife, Terri Phillips Baker. He became estranged from Baker after his career declined and began living with his new girlfriend, Irene Mikolajczyk.[12] Olden was the father of Marc Olden and Georg Olden.[13][14]
Olden has been said to have a mixed legacy in terms of race. Olden worked with the National Urban League and designed the organization's symbol, but despite his position at McCann Erickson, he tended to avoid pressing racial issues or pressing firms to hire blacks, saying acceptance into the industry is a matter of talent.[4] In 1963, Olden told Ebony, "In my work I've never felt like a Negro. Maybe I've been lucky."[15] However, in 1970, he sued his former employer, McCann Erickson, for wrongful termination caused by discrimination. He cited the dissolution of the Professional Advisory Council (PAC), of which he was a member, was a conscious decision to not allow him to move up in the company thereby keeping him at the level in which he joined the company. McCann argued that Olden never requested a transfer out of PAC into a position that would lead to greater promotion within the company. In 1972, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found reasonable cause that the company practiced discriminatory hiring but did not find reasonable cause on behalf of Olden.[9][16]
After moving to
Awards
- Art Directors Club of New York medal, 1953[19]
- Art Directors Club of New York medal, 1956[20]
- Cannes Film Festival, Advertising prize, 1967[21]
- Seven Clio Awards, 1962-1970[22]
- AIGA Medal, 2007[22]
References
- ^ a b "2007 AIGA Medalist: Georg Olden". AIGA | the professional association for design. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ Aller, Henry (2016-03-19). "George Olden (1920-1975) •". Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- ISBN 9781581150940– via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "Meet One of the Pioneering Blacks in the Ad Industry". Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "Olden, Georg(e) 1920–1975 - Dictionary definition of Olden, Georg(e) 1920–1975 | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "Georg Olden". AIGA Medal biography.
- ^ "Georg Olden".
- ^ "To Tell The Truth (October 5, 1973)". YouTube. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Meet One of the Pioneering Blacks in the Ad Industry". Retrieved 2017-04-12.
- ^ "THE WORLD OF STAMPS; The Spellman Philatelic Museum's Novel Aspect Birthday Celebration Emancipation Stamp BIRDS AND A ROAD ALBUM U.N. FLAGS". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
- ISBN 9780321887207.
- ^ Aller, Henry (2016-03-19). "George Olden (1920-1975) •". Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- ^ "MARC OLDEN - biography". www.marcolden.com. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
- ISBN 978-1-58115-094-0.
- ^ Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. November 1960.
- ^ "McCann Bias Case". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
- ^ Source: Graphic Design History 115-128; personal interviews: 2010-2013
- ^ Source: CHAMBERS, J. Meet One of the Pioneering Blacks in the Ad Industry. Advertising Age, [s. l.], v. 80, n. 6, p. 13, 2009.
- ^ "59 PRIZE AWARDS MADE BY ART CLUB; Honor Go to Those Showing Best Examples in Editorial and Advertising Fields". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
- ^ "News of Advertising and Marketing; Florida Citrus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
- ^ "Olden, Georg(e) 1920–1975 - Dictionary definition of Olden, Georg(e) 1920–1975 | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "2007 AIGA Medalist: Georg Olden". AIGA | the professional association for design. Retrieved 2017-03-11.