Gerald Holtom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerald Herbert Holtom (c 1914 - 18 September 1985[1][2][3][4]) was a professional designer and artist who graduated at the Royal College of Art.
Holtom was a World War II conscientious objector[1], who on 21 February 1958 designed the Nuclear Disarmament logo for the first Aldermaston March, organised by the Direct Action Committee against Nuclear War, Easter 1958 (4-7 April). The logo was not copyrighted, and was available for use by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, also founded in 1958; it later became known in the wider world as a general-purpose peace symbol.[5][6] The design was a combination of letters of the flag semaphore alphabet for "N" and "D", standing for nuclear disarmament. However, Holtom, a conscientious objector during the Second World War, subverted this use of semaphores by placing the D over the N, the "upside down logo" signifying his anti-military principles. [7]
It was at the Peace News office at 5 Caledonian Road, London. N.1. (above Housmans Bookshop) that the CND (peace symbol) was adopted. [8]
Holtom died at the age of 71[4]. His daughter Anna Scott is an artist.
 |
 |
 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b World's best-known protest symbol turns 50 from the BBC News website
- ^ Roth, Richard. "The 50th Anniversary Of The Peace Symbol", CBS Interactive Inc., 2008-03-23. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ Roth, Richard. "CBS Sunday Morning, 3/23/08, Origin of the Peace Sign (timecode 5:13)", CBS Interactive Inc., 2008-04-20. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ a b Holtom gravestone (bitmap image). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ The History of the Peace Symbol at the CND website Retrieved 10 Jan 2008
- ^ Whatever happened to CND? - The Independent, 15 October 2005
- ^ Early CND badges. http://www.cnduk.org/pages/ed/cnd_sym.html
- ^ CND-The disarmament symbol
 |
This biographical article about a United Kingdom activist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
