Jock Kinneir
Encyclopedia
Richard 'Jock' Kinneir (11 February 1917 – 23 August 1994) was a typographer and graphic designer
who, with colleague Margaret Calvert
, designed many of the road signs used throughout the United Kingdom
. Their system has become a model for modern road signage.
Kinneir was born in Hampshire
in 1917. He studied engraving at the Chelsea School of Art from 1935 to 1939. After World War II
Kinneir was employed as an exhibition designer by the Central Office of Information
. He next worked for the Design Research Unit
, and then opened his own practice in 1956. He also taught part-time at the Chelsea School of Art.
Kinneir's first big commission was the design of the signage for Gatwick Airport. He chose one of his students at Chelsea, Margaret Calvert, to assist him. When Sir Colin Anderson, the chairman of the P&O Line shipping company read about the Gatwick signage, he chose Kinneir to design a baggage labelling system for P&O. In 1957 Anderson was appointed chairman of the government committee formed to design signs for the new British network, and so he asked Kinneir to design them. The objective was to produce signs that could be read at speed. For the signs, Kinneir and Calvert developed a new typeface
, based on Akzidenz Grotesk
. This typeface was later named Transport
. It was first used for the Preston By-pass
in 1958.
T. G. Usborne, the Ministry of Transport
official in charge of the Anderson Committee, then formed a new committee
under Sir Walter Worboys to review signage on all other British roads. Jock Kinneir was commissioned as the designer. In 1964 he made Margaret Calvert a partner and renamed his practice Kinneir Calvert Associates. They devised a code of carefully chosen shapes and colours that largely complied with the protocol proposed by the 1949 UN World Conference on Road and Motor Transport.
Kinneir and Calvert then later completed other design projects. They introduced the Rail Alphabet
typeface for British Rail. They also worked for hospitals, the Army
and for other airports. Kinneir taught at the Royal College of Art
, and was head of the graphic design department for a while.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
who, with colleague Margaret Calvert
Margaret Calvert
Margaret Calvert is a typographer and graphic designer who, with colleague Jock Kinneir, designed many of the road signs used throughout Great Britain, as well as the Transport font used on road signs and the Rail Alphabet font used on the British railway system and an early version of the signs...
, designed many of the road signs used throughout the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Their system has become a model for modern road signage.
Kinneir was born in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 1917. He studied engraving at the Chelsea School of Art from 1935 to 1939. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Kinneir was employed as an exhibition designer by the Central Office of Information
Central Office of Information
The Central Office of Information is the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive, currently Mark Lund, reports to the Minister for the Cabinet Office...
. He next worked for the Design Research Unit
Design Research Unit
The Design Research Unit was one of the first generation of British design consultancies combining expertise in architecture, graphics and industrial design. It was founded by the managing director of Stuart's Advertising Agency, Marcus Brumwell with Misha Black and Milner Gray in 1943...
, and then opened his own practice in 1956. He also taught part-time at the Chelsea School of Art.
Kinneir's first big commission was the design of the signage for Gatwick Airport. He chose one of his students at Chelsea, Margaret Calvert, to assist him. When Sir Colin Anderson, the chairman of the P&O Line shipping company read about the Gatwick signage, he chose Kinneir to design a baggage labelling system for P&O. In 1957 Anderson was appointed chairman of the government committee formed to design signs for the new British network, and so he asked Kinneir to design them. The objective was to produce signs that could be read at speed. For the signs, Kinneir and Calvert developed a new typeface
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
, based on Akzidenz Grotesk
Akzidenz Grotesk
Akzidenz-Grotesk is a grotesque typeface originally released by the Berthold Type Foundry in 1896 under the name Accidenz-Grotesk...
. This typeface was later named Transport
Transport (typeface)
Transport is a sans serif typeface designed for road signs in the United Kingdom. It was created between 1957 and 1963 by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert as part of their work as designers for the Department of Transport's Anderson and Worboys committees....
. It was first used for the Preston By-pass
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
in 1958.
T. G. Usborne, the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
official in charge of the Anderson Committee, then formed a new committee
Worboys Committee
The Worboys Committee was formed by the British government in July 1963 to review signage on all British roads. This was in response to two articles published in 1961 by graphic designer Herbert Spencer, illustrating the shortcomings of non-motorway British road signs.The committee was chaired by...
under Sir Walter Worboys to review signage on all other British roads. Jock Kinneir was commissioned as the designer. In 1964 he made Margaret Calvert a partner and renamed his practice Kinneir Calvert Associates. They devised a code of carefully chosen shapes and colours that largely complied with the protocol proposed by the 1949 UN World Conference on Road and Motor Transport.
Kinneir and Calvert then later completed other design projects. They introduced the Rail Alphabet
Rail Alphabet
Rail Alphabet is a typeface designed by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert for British Railways. First used by them in signing tests at London's Liverpool Street Station, it was then adopted by the Design Research Unit as part of their comprehensive 1965 rebranding of the company.Rail Alphabet is...
typeface for British Rail. They also worked for hospitals, the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and for other airports. Kinneir taught at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, and was head of the graphic design department for a while.
See also
- Road signs in the United KingdomRoad signs in the United KingdomRoad signs in the United Kingdom conform broadly to European norms, though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers.-History:...
- Transport (typeface)Transport (typeface)Transport is a sans serif typeface designed for road signs in the United Kingdom. It was created between 1957 and 1963 by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert as part of their work as designers for the Department of Transport's Anderson and Worboys committees....
- Rail AlphabetRail AlphabetRail Alphabet is a typeface designed by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert for British Railways. First used by them in signing tests at London's Liverpool Street Station, it was then adopted by the Design Research Unit as part of their comprehensive 1965 rebranding of the company.Rail Alphabet is...
- Photo
