Before the days of “Corporate Identity” and the rather boring constant use of the same company
name logo, it seems that graphic designers had an almost free hand. This has brought us an amazing
array of logos, most of which are brought to you on this page. It's interesting to note that
some 40 years later, the logo design of the late 1960s is still in use by Cunard today!
What these logos show is the historical changes over the 1949 to 1967 period. Perhaps I should
say 1966 as this was when the current logo was first introduced.
What follows is by no means a comprehensive study of this subject. My interest in graphic design
has motivated me to assemble this page simply to learn more about the development of the Cunard
logo over this period. I'm probably learning as much you are from the first draft of this page.
By 1952 the White Star part of the name had been dropped and in its place ephemera was labelled with
logos showing the words “Cunard Line.” However, this was quite short-lived because in 1953 this
was shortened to just “Cunard.” Even so, there were several variations on the theme.
Cunard Stands Alone
1953 to 1961
Logo from 1957 menu
Theme Cunard logo from 1958 menu
Logo from 1961 menu
The logos above were generally used on menus and other ephemera from 1953 to 1961. However there
were various designs used on theme menus, such as the one seen left.
Some Changes Afoot
1962 to 1965
A “retro” design from 1962
In 1962 there was a brief encounter with an earlier period where the logo incorporated the Cunard
“Lion holding the World” symbol. Later in that year a much heavier logo was introduced as the
standard ubiquitous mark of the company, as seen below.
The 1962 to 1965 standard logo
Even so, there was problem. The design was quite distinctive, but it had one major flaw. When greatly enlarged, it
wasn't clear enough to be read from across a harbour.
A theme Cunard logo from 1962
As new ships emerged in the mid-1960s a company's livery was not enough to distinguish one vessel from another. Most
were appearing with hulls painted in white or pale colours. So, labelling a ship with a company name had become the
vogue of that time.
Simple logo of 1965
Rather than relying on their distinctive livery as hitherto, a major player like Cunard needed to
join the game. The typeface used in their current logo was simply too dense for this purpose. In 1965
the emergence of a much simpler design appeared on the set of “Four Winds” menu covers,
as seen left.
It wasn't perpetuated as it didn't quite fit the bill. The designers were not yet hidebound by an
insistence on a standard logo design for everything, as the more attractive theme logo seen above it shows.
The Simple But Boring Era
1966 to date…
The “Corporate Image” logo of 1966The “Corporate Image” logo of 1966
There's not a great deal to say about these logos other than all these years later they are still recognisable
as a current version, with minor adjustments made in the interim.
