By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. By the 1900s, there were 48 and then 50 by 1976 as Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1958 and 1959, respectively.

1976 was to be a big year, the 200th anniversary. After the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, it was hoped that the next decade would lay the foundations for something better. The spirit of the American Bicentennial celebration of 1976 was supported by three key pillars: ‘Heritage’, ‘Horizon’ and ‘Festival’, and would celebrate the cultural heritage and traditions of the country through a diverse programme of events and parades. This was initially to be in the form of a single exhibition Expo ‘76 in either Philadelphia or Boston, however after six and a half years of debate, the Commission recommended that there should not be a single event. Congress dissolved it on December 11, 1973, and created the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA).

To unify this extensive country-wide programme, ARBA sought out a symbol. This would be used to identify and merchandise the celebration. A competition was devised to solicit ideas from studios and designers from across the United States. This initiative would form an early part of the Federal Design Improvement Program (FDIP), a pioneering effort by the National Endowment of the Arts to improve the design and communications of the Federal government. The Bicentennial logo would be one of the first of many ‘improvement’ initiatives, and would go on to include The National Zoo, the Federal Energy Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The symbol designed by Bruce Blackburn while working at Chermayeff & Geismar Associates is well-known and celebrated as a fine achievement in marque-making. The symbol would go on to be used on the side of the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building, on the Viking Mars lander and used across stamps, patches and all kinds of promotional materials, which accounts for its widespread recognition in the US. However, few know that Blackburn’s design was not the winning entry, that honour went to Lance Wyman. Keep reading to find out more