A History Lesson from the CIA
Continues Friday: 70th #UNGA General Debate. Get list of speakers & watch live here: http://t.co/WdhsaJh45S pic.twitter.com/swgT9tqRpA
— United Nations (@UN) October 2, 2015A few years ago, WikiLeaks told us how the CIA spied on U.N. diplomats, so when the intel agency tweeted about the organization today, it caught my attention. The tweets were far more innocuous, though, and laid out the history of how a former employee of the OSS, the agency’s forerunner, led the team that designed the U.N.’s logo:
In honor of the #UNGA & 70th anniversary of the dissolution of #OSS, we're telling the story of the @UN logo & OSS. pic.twitter.com/52VYbPyMS5
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
1945: @StateDept asked #OSS to help create graphics for the Conference on International Organization, where @UN Charter was drafted. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
Oliver Lundquist, architect & industrial designer, worked for #OSS during #WWII & led the team that designed the official @UN emblem. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
Lundquist’s #OSS team set out to create a lapel pin for delegates to serve as official form of identification. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/sxheJq3EVq
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
#OSS officer & conference graphics director Donal McLaughlin created final pin design. It became prototype for today’s @UN logo. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
1945 design: top-down view of globe showing all continents except Antarctica & olive branch symbolizing peace #UNGA pic.twitter.com/KVciG2sa4f
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
The final emblem chosen by the @UN was a slightly modified version of McLaughlin’s 1945 design. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/UZxYx1NtdS
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
After #WWII, McLaughlin owned & operated an exhibit design & graphic company & taught architecture classes at @HowardU. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
McLaughlin also wrote a fascinating history of the logo, graciously shared with us by the @UN: http://t.co/ZXEzzqRX2m (PDF 5.19 MB) #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
After #WWII, Lundquist joined a private practice as an architect, working on hospitals, schools, & former Manhattan @Kodak Building. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
Lundquist also created one of the most recognizable product packages found on store shelves: the blue-and-white @Qtips box. #UNGA
— CIA (@CIA) October 2, 2015
