London Borough of Camden – What's the concept?
The concept behind Main Wolff & Partners' 1965 logo for the London Borough of Camden.
The London Borough of Camden was formed in 1965 from a merger of the metropolitan boroughs of St Pancras, Hampstead and Holborn.
To clearly define this new borough a new symbol was sought out, with Main Wolff & Partners being commissioned to design this. The final design depicts four pairs of hands locked together to form a ring.
The logo’s depiction of tessellating hands intended to symbolise aspects of governance such as voting, giving and receiving as well as the purpose and structure of local government.
Through its formal geometry the logo also represented organised community support and communal efforts direct towards common causes.
The logo was applied to annual reports, street signage and bus stops throughout the borough, initially with a burnt orange red and later green. It is this version that remains in use to this day.
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