Gerry Barney

Gerry Barney
Born
Gerald Barney

(1939-09-18) 18 September 1939 (age 85)
NationalityBritish
OccupationDesigner
Known forBritish Rail Double Arrow
The British Rail "Double Arrow" designed by Gerald Barney, 1965

Gerald Lawrence Barney (born (1939-09-18)18 September 1939)[1] is a British designer, best known for his 1965 British Rail Double Arrow, which is still in use in the UK.[2]

In 1960, aged 21, Barney started his career at the Design Research Unit (DRU) as a lettering artist, and soon became close to the studio’s co-founder, Milner Gray.[2] At the DRU, Barney designed logos including the British Rail Double Arrow.[2]

He later worked for Wolff Olins, and in 1978, together with his colleagues David Bristow, Kit Cooper and Terence Griffin, set up British design agency Sedley Place.

In 2021, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) hoped that Barney would endorse a new version of the logo in different shades of green, to highlight the environmental benefits of train travel. However, he said: "I could understand it if they had just swapped red for green. But why on earth have they got that many colours? It's a load of old bollocks. It's just a mess."[3]

References

  1. ^ Companies House (1 February 2003). "Terminating appointment as director or secretary".
  2. ^ a b c "Top 20 logos: 03. British Rail (1964)". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. ^ Weaver, Matthew (22 September 2021). "British Rail logo designer appalled by green makeover 'mess'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.