Ardmore Sesquicentennial

The Sesquicentennial Sun

Anyone around here knows the Ardmore Initiative's ubiquitous "A" logo. You see it on street signs, lamp posts, and even the railroad bridge. It's become the de facto town logo. In many ways, that's great. But for the Ardmore Sesquicentennial, Ardmore Initiative needed something distinctive to mark its special projects and celebrations. Something identifiable they could share with local organizations and businesses. Something simple and familiar yet fresh and, somehow, flexible.

So we created The Sesquicentennial Sun.

Obviously, as a sun, it evokes a sunny-day suburban-sky optimism. It could be a flower, evoking the renewal and promise of our gardens and parks. Maybe it's a celebratory birthday firework. But it's also an antique wheel from Ardmore’s "Autocar" manufacturing past and a spoked wheel of its bicycle racing present. It's a sun/flower in motion, spinning through history to the future.

I borrowed the “swoosh” from the red “A” we all know, flipped the color to Ardmore Initiative's accent gold, and repeated it 23 times to represent 2023. Now, the established mark's secondary but distinguishing feature is the highlight; free and moving. It works at any size, is equally bold and delicate, and is comfortable alongside images from the 19th, 20th, or 21st centuries. It looks great circling the "A," but can accommodate variations with "150," the sesquicentennial dates "1873-2023," or even blank, as a motif, depending on the context. It'll work on a formal award or a fun t-shirt.

It's such a thrill to create something for an occasion like this, and a thrill to see it released into the wild. Look for it around town this year. It's just the start of what we have planned. 

Sesquicentennial Tetraptych

To close out 2023, I presented this Sesquicentennial Tetraptych to the Township Of Lower Merion and to the Ardmore Initiative’s staff, board, and associates.

Each one (of an edition of 23 for 2023) consists of signed prints of my four sesquicentennial poster designs, including a variation of the design we ultimately selected for the celebration.

We’ve done some cool stuff celebrating our local history this past year. Here’s to 2024 and our community's future.