History of Hackney's Logo 
‘A new sign for a new borough’
To longstanding Hackney residents the Council’s round ‘H’ logo has been familiar for years. Since 1965 it has adorned the Council’s signs, staff uniforms, vehicles and street furniture.
To celebrate the settlement with Nike we're taking a look at the history of the Hackney ‘H’. The Hackney ‘H’ was born in 1965 when the London Borough of Hackney was formed from the three smaller Metropolitan Boroughs of Stoke Newington, Hackney, and Shoreditch.
The first meeting of the new Council agreed that the borough needed a logo to symbolise this new era for local government in the area. However, as is usually the case in local politics, the decision was not without controversy.
The three Metropolitan boroughs had been represented by heraldic crests, and the traditionalists on the Council wanted something similar for the newly created borough. But this was the swinging 60s, and there were others who wanted something fresh to represent the brave new world of the modernist era.
The Council minutes said: “We are by no means sure that in the modern age, a coat of arms is the most appropriate means of expression of the Council’s function and activities.” The Stoke Newington & Hackney Observer reported the spat. One councillor and former Mayor, Alderman Sam Kalman did not welcome the ‘H’. He said “It appears we will adopt a pair of dumb-bells … we now have a monstrosity of a badge.”
Two years later the Hackney Gazette wrote: “Hackney …adopted what was described as a strictly functional symbol which…looked for all the world like a dumb-bell. In fact that is what citizens came to call it, and in spite of a considerable volume of criticism, the Town Hall in Mare Street stubbornly stuck to it and seemed ready to stick to it for evermore.”
Forty-one years on, and whilst the Council uses a heraldic crest for ceremonial purposes, the ‘H’ is still with us and is widely recognised as the symbol of the borough.
Mayor Pipe said: “The ‘H’ is a great piece of design, which is why it has lasted so long, and whilst it has been updated, we have never seen the need to replace it.”
The man behind the ‘H’
A letter from Hackney Council’s first Chief Executive, then known as the Town Clerk, shows how seriously the Council took the creation of the new logo. The Council wanted to employ ‘one of the best men in the business’ and set about looking for a graphic artist who would fit the bill.
Alec Davis, a very well known designer in the 1960s, and author of several books on graphic design, was commissioned to do the job. Alec Davis died 30 years ago, but we caught up with his son, Dr Stephen Boyd-Davis to ask him how he feels about the logo’s new found fame.
Did you know your father had designed Hackney Council's logo and that it is still in use to this day?
It is all so long ago. I was twelve at the time. But I was aware of the design and that its ‘modern’ appearance caused offence to traditionalists. My father was a great enthusiast for clean, clear simple designs which got rid of old-fashioned visual clutter. He was the founding editor of Design magazine, which fought on behalf of the Design Council to promote the modern look in the post-war period.
How did you feel when you found out Nike had used the logo, knowing your father's design is being worn on t-shirts and trainers all over the world?
I thought how odd, and funny, my father would have found it. He was quite a straight kind of man, so he probably couldn't ever have imagined his design ending up as part of youth culture on the streets.
Was your father involved in the design of any other famous logos?
Though it was a small business, he designed for many household names such as Ferodo, John Lewis, Lloyds Bank and Fogarty. Others included the National Dairy Council, British Aluminium, Marley, Charringtons, Booker and the English Tourist Board.
Did you inherit his interest in design?
Yes. I run a research centre in a university, exploring how design can make our lives better. In my case it's about the design of websites, multimedia, games and so, but I like to think the principles are the same.
Alec Davis with his son, Stephen
Page updated: 28 Feb 2007