Two original exterior office building signs will be auctioned in New York next month.
They measure approximately 46 x 49 x 1.5 inches and 33.5 x 36 x 6 inches, each with a separate stem piece. The larger sign is made of stiff foam with 6 vinyl applied colours; the smaller is made of fiberglass backed with metal, and vinyl applied colours.
They were removed from the Cupertino company headquarters in 1997 and given to a longtime Apple employee.
“The original Apple logo was designed with a bite in it for scale. Imagine… without the bite, it could have looked like a cherry. Rob was interested in making it instantly identifiable as an apple.”
Quoted from designer Rob Janoff’s website.
From the archives, here’s Rob talking about his Apple logo.
Comments
$10,000 for signage? so crazy.
the crazier thing is that someone will pay that much for it.
The story I was always told was that the bite was a reference to Alan Turing. When he was found after committing suicide, there was a half-eaten apple next to him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing#Death
I hope the one who buys the signs will donate them to SFMOMA or any museum for modern art.
There are many who would buy it. It is iconic and the value will only increase over time. In fact the last time I visited the Apple campus, they still have some of the best signage design, period.
“I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple not a cherry. Also it was kind of iconic about taking a bite out of an apple. Something that everyone can experience. It goes across cultures. If anybody ever had an apple he probably bitten into it and that’s what you get. It was after I designed it, that my creative director told me: “Well you know, there is a computer term called byte”. And I was like: “You’re kidding!” – Rob Janoff
The full interview -> http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo
I remember seeing a huge Apple banner with this logo many years ago in Shanghai (near the old airport). The Chinese tagline reads: 明日科技 今日享用. (Translation: Enjoy tomorrow’s technologies Today). It was a brilliant logo, and the tagline still remains relevant today.
I may have the Apple signage. My son sent me a link today and boy, was it a surprise! I am trying to attach photos, but no luck.
It was given to me as a Christmas gift from my ex-husband’s father. Jim was a craftsman and also lived in San Francisco right near Mac/Apple.
3 1/2 in height and very heavy.
My husband is going to weigh it tomorrow. Hate to sell it, but the apartment we are living in doesn’t allow you to put holes in the walls. I am starting to walk now after having an accident that had me in a wheelchair for 7 years and can’t deliver or ship it because of size.
Thank you for your purchase whoever you might be!