New Work: The White House Historical Association

As the Obamas get ready to move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today, the organization charged with tending to the historic residence, The White House Historical Association, has received a change of its own: a new identity designed by Luke Hayman.

Established by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, The White House Historical Association is a non-profit historical and educational organization dedicated to preserving the history of the world’s most famous residence. The organization’s broad mission encompasses the publication of books, the preservation of the residence's art, decorative art and period rooms and a wide variety of education initiatives. With such a profusion of activities, the organization’s mark had taken on a variety of forms over the years and so, in an effort to portray a more consistent image, the association approached Hayman to develop a new identity.

The stately new identity utilizes LTC Caslon, an updated version of the 18th century font used for the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, and a specially commissioned engraving by illustrator Steven Noble.

Previous incarnations of the White House Historical Association’s mark, ranging from the traditional to the ornate to the more contemporary, were used interchangeably, presenting an erratic identity. After initially considering a contemporary design, Hayman decided a more traditional approach would better suit the organization's mission. Inspired by a pre-existing mark, Hayman had illustrator Steven Noble redraw the White House to create a more active composition.

Noble based his image of the White House not on how it appears today, but on how the house appeared in the 1950s, after President Truman had the entire building reconstructed due to serious structural flaws. This post-renovation period is considered by historians to be the most recognizable and historically appropriate representation of the White House. Adding to the appeal of this depiction is the landscaping, which at the time was modest in size and density (whereas today it engulfs the building, creating an overcrowded background).

The organization’s long name, which lacks an attractive acronym, had been an awkward stumbling block in earlier incarnations of the mark. Creating a more aesthetically pleasing composition, Hayman divided the moniker into two lines. In keeping with American typesetting trends from the early 1800s, italic small caps were used, with the words “White House” being printed in bold Roman letters for emphasis.

A major drawback of the original logo was that its fine details made it hard to reproduce in smaller sizes. In an effort to remedy this problem, Hayman devised three marks: a highly detailed version for larger uses, a simplified version for smaller print pieces, and a logotype-only version for especially small applications such as book and CD spines.

Hayman also designed a graphic pattern for print applications that utilizes the logotype and a star motif. The pattern has been produced in four colors including both red and blue so that there would be no perceived bias for one political party over the other.

Project credits: Luke Hayman, partner in charge; Rami Moghadam, designer; Emily Anton, project coordinator.