Canadian National Railway

Allan Robb Fleming

The corporate identity programme for Canadian National Railway, designed in 1959, was Fleming’s most celebrated design achievement. Almost fifty years later, the trains still feature the elegant symbol that combines the initials with the ‘track’. Pieter Brattinga gave the CN programme a solo exhibition in Steendrukkerij de Jong & Co’s gallery (Hilversum, 1963).

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  1. Image 1 — Fleming 02 (Canadian National Railway)
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  3. Image 3 — Fleming 03 (Canadian National Railway)
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    Allan Robb Fleming, Canada (1974)

    Allan Robb Fleming was both a cool modernist and a craft traditionalist: a unique vernacular seen right across his extensive work in corporate design, graphics and advertising. Trained in commercial...

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    • Canadian National Railway, 1959

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    The corporate identity programme for Canadian National Railway, designed in 1959, was Fleming’s most celebrated design achievement. Almost fifty years later, the trains still feature the elegant symbol that combines the initials with the ‘track’. Pieter Brattinga gave the CN programme a solo exhibition in Steendrukkerij de Jong & Co’s gallery (Hilversum, 1963).

    • Client:

    • Canadian National Railway

    • Sector:

    • Disciplines:

    • Details:

    • Information design
    • Logo
    • Typography
    Allan Robb Fleming, Canada (1974)

    As a 12-year-old, Allan Robb Fleming knew that art would be an important part of his life. He studied at Western Technical School in Toronto and at 16 did his apprenticeship with several advertising agencies. When he came back to Canada he established himself as a freelance design consultant. He taught typography at the Ontario College of Art and Design, designed the History of Typography exhibition for the Royal Ontario Museum in 1957 and joined Cooper & Beatty as typographic director and designer. In 1962 he completely redesigned Maclean’s magazine, which increased its circulation. With his design for the book Canada: A Year of the Land, Fleming experienced a critical and commercial triumph, prior to joining University of Toronto Press as chief designer. He also designed stamps, art posters and logos including Ontario Hydro, the Ontario Science Centre and his famous identity programme for Canadian National Railway. He received the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts medal.

    Education

    plus

    Head of the Typography Department

      1955 – 1961

      • Ontario College of Art (Canada)

      Agencies

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      • Allan Fleming Graphic Design

        1955 – 1977

      • Burns Cooper Donoahue and Fleming

        1976 – 1977

      • Kuypers Adamson Norton, Director

        1974 – 1977

      • University of Toronto Press, Chief of Design

        1968 – 1977

      • Burton Kramer Associates, Principal

        1973 – 1976

      • MacLaren Advertising (now MacLaren McCann), Company Director and Manager of the Creative Department

        1963 – 1968

      • Cooper & Beatty Type Craftsmen, Creative Director

        1957 – 1963

      • John Tait and Partners, Art Director

        1953 – 1955

      • Art and Design Service

        1951 – 1953

      • Aiken McCracken, Art Director

        – 1951

      • Art Associates Studio, Layout Artist

      • T. Eaton Company, Illustrator

        1945 – 1947

      Awards

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      • 1965

      Medal of the Royal Canadian Academy

      • 1967

      Centennial Medal

      • 1977

      Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal
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